Travel to the Past
by Ariel1
Summary: Meet Willow Serenity, the average teenage girl living the average teenage girl life. That is, until she finds an ancient text that sucks her into the past - full of action and laughter and love, oh my!
1. Willow Sees Dead People

_Travel to the Past:   
Part Two_   
  
Willow groaned and touched her head, sitting up. She was laying in a snow embankment that sat near an alleyway. Shivering, she stood up slowly, brushing off her jeans and pea coat, pulling her red scarf around her neck tightly. She looked around.   
  
"Well, I *think* I'm still in Corus.." Willow murmured to herself, "But everything is so different!" It was also nighttime, which certainly didn't help her situation. Looking up towards where her boarding home should have sat, she gasped, her eyes widening. The castle was not crumbling! It was in perfect condition, and lit up like a gigantic stone firework. Even from where she was standing, knee-deep in snow, Willow could see carriages pulling up en masse in front of the gigantic castle doors, and she could hear trumpets blaring, announcing the guests as they entered. Willow blinked and rubbed her eyes. The castle still shone. She repeated her actions. The castle was still there. Muttering to herself about the true fragility of sanity, she entered the nearest open store, an embroiderer, working late, and timidly approached the counter.   
  
"May I help you, miss?" The man inquired, looking up. Willow blinked. He was wearing a tunic and hose. Willow couldn't recall ever seeing *anyone*, let alone a very elderly man, wearing a tunic and hose. The man blinked back. The newcomer was wearing breeches in a material he had never seen in his life, and a completely foreign cut of coat. The man couldn't recall ever seeing *anyone*, let alone this seemingly average girl, wearing such a bizarre outfit. Nevertheless, she had a nice, honest look about her face, and the man was inclined to trust her. He repeated his question. "May I help you, miss?" Willow coughed,   
  
"Oh, yes! Um..what's today?" The man laughed.   
  
"It's the first day of Midwinter, my dear! December 21st!" Willow smiled slightly.   
  
"How nice. And the year?" The man chuckled, wondering who had clocked the poor girl on the head hard enough for her to forget such information.   
  
"654, of course!" Willow's eyes bulged. 654?! *654*?! It couldn't be 654! Yesterday the year had been 1050, not 654! Her face paled.   
  
"Are you all right, dearie? Here, come sit down.." the shopkeeper told her, leading her to a stool, where Willow sat down obediently. The shopkeeper pulled a stool of his own up, and took a sip of a drink which sat nearby.   
  
"My name is Robert Greene, what's yours, lass?" He asked, offering his hand. Willow shook it, her head starting to clear.   
  
"Willow Serenity.." Robert Greene raised an eyebrow,   
  
"Serenity? Of the Runnerspring Serenities?"   
  
"Um, I guess so. My father grew up at Runnerspring." Willow told him, remembering the many stories her father had of the large cliff at the town, one of the few places that had not been touched by modernization. It overlooked a deep lake, and was often the place where the most thrilling games of truth or dare took place.   
  
"Well, then! Why aren't you at the ball, milady?"   
  
"Ball?" Her brow furrowed.   
  
"Yes, the ball! The Midwinter Ball, that all the nobles attend!"   
  
"Nobles?" The man laughed and took her hand.   
  
"Come, milady, I will show you to the ball. Hopefully your kin will be there, and they will sort you out." Without waiting for her response, Robert Greene pulled on a hat and coat, and lead Willow threw the streets of Corus and up the great hill to the castle entrance. He smiled and snuck her through a commonly used back way, depositing the extremely confused and now somewhat lightheaded Willow in a corner of the grand ballroom.   
  
~*~   
  
Willow looked around the room in awe. Everything sparkled in royal blue and silver. The ceiling seemed infinitely high, and from it hung several chandeliers, all obviously hand-crafted from crystal and gold. Filling the chandeliers were hundreds of small silver and blue candles, each flame winking and causing the decorations to sparkle. On the walls sat large globes; within each one a fog like substance floated. Each globe held a different colour, and every globe gave off a warm glow that spilled over the floor and the hundreds of occupants on it, making the scene surreal. Focusing on the people dancing and mingling in the ballroom, Willow saw a full orchestra seated upon a slightly elevated stage. Each member wore a tailored velvet coat in royal blue, a high-collared silver shirt in silk underneath. Their legs were covered by crisp white breeches, and their coat tails were so long they brushed the stage floor. Each coat had the Tortallan crest of a silver blade and crown on a royal blue field, something Willow recognized from her history textbooks, emblazoned upon the left breast of their coat. Swiveling her head further, Willow noted that all those serving, whether they were 10 or 80, also wore close variations of the orchestra's ensemble.   
  
The blue and silver outfits were threadbare rags, however, to what Willow observed next, which were the outfits the guests donned. Diamonds and other precious jewels winked on dresses, nestled in the beading of bodices and the embroidery of velvet and silk tunics, breasts sat regally above the necklines of dresses that featured corsets within them, meticulously brushed and styled hair tumbled over shoulders and down backs, laughter tinkled like bells from ladies and roared from men. The sight was breath-taking. Willow looked down at her frayed jeans and dusty pea coat and suddenly felt very out of place, more so than she had in the strange streets of ancient Corus. She began to back up, hoping she could figure out the way Mr.Greene had brought her so she could make a quiet escape back into the streets. It was cold, but at least it was plain. Willow turned to head for the back route when she bumped into someone, and stumbled backwards, falling onto the hard wooden floor.   
  
"Oof!" She exclaimed as she hit the ground, the wind shooting out of her lungs. The person she had bumped into giggled and kneeled down next to her,   
  
"Are you okay?" A voice asked. Looking up, Willow found herself face-to-face with a relative, if not a distant one. Long, dark red hair tumbled around the young girl's face and her shoulders, which were adorned by the sleeves of a velvet, dark purple gown. Large grey eyes stared into Willow's own.   
  
"Hey, you look like me! Cool!" The beautiful girl exclaimed, and stood up, pulling Willow up from the ground. She was surprisingly strong, even though as Willow soon found out, she was a few inches shorter than Willow's own petite 5'3" height. The other redhead smiled at Willow, and offered her hand.   
  
"I'm Ariel Serenity of Runnerspring, squire of the royal palace. Who're you?" Willow laughed, mostly at herself and her seeming growing insanity.   
  
"I'm Willow Serenity." She told Ariel, before realizing what the implications of her last name were. Ariel gasped.   
  
"Serenity? Are you another cousin I don't know about?"   
  
"Uh..yes. I am your..cousin." Willow forced the lie out, beginning to wonder if this was a dream and if she should pinch herself. Ariel giggled,   
  
"I have all kinds of relatives I don't know! It comes from the gigantic family I'm a part of, y'know. Come on, I'll introduce you to all my friends!" She said, grabbing Willow's hand and dragging her over to a fairly large group of people, composed mainly of incredibly tall, muscled men and a few girls and younger, skinnier boys. One of the bulkier men smirked at his first sight of Ariel, and pulled her hand from Willow's, wrapping a possessive - not to mention *huge* - arm dangerously low on her waist. A slimmer, more lightly complected man of similar height was cradling an infant child in his arms, smiling. Ariel seemed to ignore the intrusive arm completely, not even missing a beat in formulating her introduction speech.   
  
"Everyone, this is my cousin, Willow Serenity! Everyone introduce yourselves and be nice. Willow, this is Marc, my.." she looked around, and then in a slightly hushed tone, continued, "lover. I'm not supposed to have one as a squire, so it has to stay quiet." Willow nodded, and smiled a hello at Marc, who grunted, nodding slightly and pulling Ariel closer. A tall, incredibly handsome man flashed a grin at Willow and bowed, kissing her hand gently.   
  
"Sir Ian Corganne, a pleasure to meet you, Lady Willow." Willow smiled nervously,   
  
"Good to m-meet you, Sir Ian." She stammered slightly. Ian laughed and moved aside to let others make their introductions. After the passing of several minutes, Willow had been introduced to Ian's brother Anthony Corganne and his infant daughter Kathlyn, the famed Melusine Desjardins of Amelien, who was now trying to get Marc to release her friend, Melusine's cousin Simon Ravenhill, and his friend, Dominic Beaumont of Naxen. Willow noted with a smile that Dominic, a very attractive young man, was an ancestor of her very own boyfriend Thomas. Sitting upon Simon's lap was Rowan of Tirragen, an extremely attractive young woman whom Willow assumed was with Simon for physical reasons only. Another younger brother of Ian's was present, Seth Corganne. He a year younger than Willow herself, and engaged to a charming and rather pretty young female squire named Ane. Flirting shamelessly with a noble lady off to the side was a male squire Ariel introduced as Joseph, normally called Jo. Finally, the "hopeless, gutless, soon to be my ICKY brother-in-law!" sitting on the side reading a thick book was Dani. After introductions were over, Willow sat down in a chair gratefully. She thought she had a moment of peace to collect herself, to figure out what exactly *had* happened to her, when Dominic walked up to her.   
  
"What's with the clothes?" He asked, not bothering with formalities or politeness. Willow blinked,   
  
"Uh.." He laughed.   
  
"They're strange. More form-fitting than breeches and a shirt, somewhat modern looking. I like them." He sat down in the chair next to her. "Come sit in my lap, Willow, I'm bored." He said with a smirk. Willow choked on her own breath,   
  
"Excuse me?!" Ariel heard Willow's exclamation and scooted over, plopping down on Dom's lap, who grinned.   
  
"Don't bother her, Dom. She's a newcomer to the balls! And a foreigner, I think, too. I mean, look at her clothes! Aren't they cool?" Ariel babbled on and on to Dominic, allowing Willow the time she needed to start to sort her situation out. She remembered the glowing light coming from the book. Strange as a glowing book was, it didn't explain a time jump. Time jump.. the words echoed in Willow's head. Those words had been written on the page she had read from that little book.   
  
"Could it have been..did I..a *real* time jumping spell?" She mused quietly to herself. It was a strange - incredibly strange - thought, she admitted this, but it had a twisted sense of logic to it, too. Corus was a city founded on magic and monarchy. Magic was genetic, that had been proved a long time ago.   
  
"So..even if magic isn't used today, it's still in the bloodlines.." Willow whispered. That had to be it. Looking down at her own hands, she squinted, trying to see some sort of sparkling phenomenon at her fingertips. There was nothing. "Well, it has to be in me somewhere." She decided. "So how do I get home?" She asked herself. Thinking back again to the little red book, she remembered another crucial detail. It had belonged to Numair Salmalin! If that was true, the book had to be floating somewhere around Corus in this day and age, too. All she had to do was find it!   
  
"Now that Willow had thought everything through logically and found a task for herself to complete, she felt better. Since Ariel and everyone else believed she really was the little redhead's cousin, she was safe. Now, all she needed was a place to stay, and some proper clothing to wear.   
  
"Willow spent the next hour dozing lightly in her chair, exhausted from the day's excitement. Around 12:30am, Ariel tapped her on her shoulder.   
  
"Hey, Willow? Go home." Willow yawned,   
  
"Home?" Ariel sat down, playing with the beading on her dress.   
  
"Yeah, home. Aren't you staying at an inn, aren't you?" Willow shook her head.   
  
"Um..it's a long story, but I have no money, no clothing, no horse and no place to stay." Ariel squeaked,   
  
"Whoa! Well, then you can come stay in my room. It's big enough that I can set up a mattress for you. My room connects to Anth's - he's my knightmaster. Is that cool with you?"   
  
"Yeah, that's great. Thanks, Ariel.." Ariel smiled, and lead Willow upstairs for the night. ~*~   
  
Willow spent the next few days staying in Ariel's room during the day, mostly taking care of Anthony's baby Kathlyn - Kath - for him. Ariel had tapped the Serenity accounts, providing Willow with an ample amount of money. The first weekend came, and Ariel took Willow out shopping.   
  
"So, Willow, what kind of clothing do you want to get?" Ariel asked her as they strolled through the busy marketplace, their money pouches jingling at their waists.   
  
"Comfortable stuff would be best. I guess a few skirts and stuff, and maybe something for a ball." Willow told her, trying to figure out what clothing would make her the least conspicuous. Ariel grinned,   
  
"Comfortable! A girl after my own heart!" She pulled Willow into a clothing store. Clothing lined the walls from floor to ceiling in hundreds of colours of styles, all stored neatly in little cubbies. Ariel looked her cousin over,   
  
"Let's see. You weigh..how much?"   
  
"115 pounds." Willow responded, smoothing her now somewhat smelly pea coat over her slender frame. Ariel mused incoherently to herself and walked down an aisle, running her fingers over everything within reach.   
  
"I'm a size 2, so you're probably a size 4. What kind of colours do you like? Purple?" She chirped, tugging on her own purple shirt and breeches. Willow laughed,   
  
"Anything dark. Purple, black, blue, green. All dark." She responded, and Ariel giggled,   
  
"You're as bad as Anth!" She exclaimed, "Now help me pick you clothes." Willow grinned and began to sift threw the aisles, picking up things here and there. After a few minutes of silence, she looked at Ariel.   
  
"What's your relationship to Anth? You two seem close." Ariel giggled and blushed slightly.   
  
"Anth's my knightmaster, now. We used to be lovers but..things came between us. Things named Joy, specifically. And then a thing named Marc. And then..lots more things." She explained, a touch of sadness in her voice and her eyes.   
  
"Do you still love him?" Willow questioned. Ariel smiled shyly,   
  
"I do.." Willow was slightly taken aback. She thought the answer would've been no, considering how close she seemed to Marc. Noticing her confusion, Ariel continued.   
  
"When we were lovers, I was only 14. Barely legal," she smirked. "And I was immature. Joy was beautiful..buxom..mature, in her own way. And Marc was..well, he was a brother of Anth, but younger, and very different in personality. It was the most destructive thing either of could've ever done to ourselves. So, we did it, of course. But then over the summer, when Kath was born.. well, Joy died. Now Anth's alone again, and he still.." Ariel looked at her feet, lowering her voice slightly. "He still comes into my room, sometimes..asking, almost begging for me to leave Marc and go back to him." Ariel sighed. "I know he's bad for me - Marc, that is. But I feel bad..I just can't break it off like that." Willow gave Ariel a quick hug and a smile. She didn't know anything about love, and her life was certainly not anywhere as interesting as Ariel's was, but she sympathized deeply with the girl.   
  
"But, onto things more fun!" Ariel exclaimed with a quick change of pace. "Let's pay for these clothes, and get you a horse!" Willow giggled,   
  
"Sure, a horse."   
  
And what a horse it was. Willow had gladly shelled out golden nobles for a gorgeous mare whom she named Dryad. Her sleek coat was so white it was practically silver, glinting in the afternoon sun. It had been a very productive day for Willow. Although she had not had a single opportunity to search for that essential red leather handbook, she was content. Willow felt almost as if she fit in better in the Corus of ancient times than that of modern times. There was a tension, a buzzing in the air of this Corus that made everything more lively and beautiful. The only thing that filled the air in her Corus was the putrid smells and thick black smog their first factory produced in copious amounts. Willow was content.


	2. We're Not in Kansas Anymore

_Travel to the Past:   
Part One_   
  
Willow Serenity tucked a lock of dark red hair behind her ear, sighing as she listened to Professor Tirragen, her history professor, drone on about the shortest war in Tortallan history, which lasted through the winter of 654 and half of 655.   
  
"Many fiefs were affected by this war, short as it was. Thomas, name me some fiefs that encountered troubles!" Willow smiled and looked over at her boyfriend of almost two years, Thomas Beaumont. His family was very high society, living in one of the few houses constructed inside the ancient castle's inner walls. Thomas cleared his throat,   
  
"Danshame, Pirate's Swoop and Irismere were all heavily affected, Professor, simply because they sat in spots crucial to winning the war against Tortall." The Professor nodded,   
  
"Very good, Thomas. Now, we know many things about the fiefs, physically, but what of the people who lived in them, and their lives? How many of you have actually done research on this voluntarily, hm?" Professor Tirragen chuckled lightly as he looked around, the air empty of hands. "Exactly, my students. Your assignment for the next week is to research a noble, which I will assign to you, and write me a two to four page paper on their life, and any connection you may have to them. Now, line up." The class sighed, some groaned, and did as their teacher ordered. The line moved quickly, each student taking their name, reading it apathetically. Thomas took the opportunity to slip into line behind Willow, and clasp his arms around her waist. She smiled and pecked his cheek,   
  
"Hey. Do you have any hopes for who your noble will be?"   
  
"A knight, hopefully! Or someone from my own fief." Willow raised an eyebrow. The last inheritors of the Tortallan fiefs had died long ago. The castles had since began to crumble, and many of the small towns turned into thriving metropolises. Even the Royal Castle in Corus was in poor shape. From her classroom window, Willow could see it, standing regally on the high hill. Flags had not flown over it's many towers for hundreds of years. Tortall had long since had fought many civil wars, democracy prevailing. It was now a President, Congress and Senate that ran the country, not a king and his council. Willow's mind drifted back to reality, she nodded absently at the explanation Thomas had been giving about his supposed family fief.   
  
"Willow Serenity, please step forth." Professor Tirragen said. Willow walked up to her teacher's desk, and accepted a slip of paper. Looking at it, she found the name Ariel Willow Corganne of Runnerspring and Pirate's Swoop written upon it. She smiled a bit,   
  
"Her middle name's Willow..that's neat. And she married into Pirate's Swoop, so maybe the war books will mention her." Willow stuck around for a few moment, waiting for Thomas. He came up to her, a grin on his face.   
  
"Knight! Just like I told you I'd get!" She laughed,   
  
"What's the name?"   
  
"Ian Andrew Corganne of Trebond! Perfect." Willow smiled and kissed his cheek.   
  
"Congratulations, Thom. I'm going to head off to the library. Call me tonight?" He smiled warmly at his girlfriend.   
  
"Of course. Later!" They parted, Willow heading off to begin her research at the largest library in Tortall, which was once the Royal Library of the king.   
  
~*~   
  
Taking a seat with a stack of books, Willow thumbed through the first one, entitled _The Noble Life: A Comprehensive Biography._ She checked the index and then turned to page 374, where a summary of her noble's life sat on the pages. She began to read.   
  
_"Ariel Willow Corganne of Runnerspring and Pirate's Swoop was born Ariel Willow Serenity, on April 22nd, 638 to parents Juliet Olivia and Brion Philip Serenity, the 10th child. At the age of 10, Ariel was admitted into the Royal Tortallan Knight Program, where she excelled quickly in archery. At the age of 14, Ariel became squire to Anthony Cameron Corganne of King's Reach, the bastard son of the Lady, and a very fine knight. For a brief period, Ariel became lovers with Anthony's younger sibling, Marcus Corganne. The relationship was brief, however, for at the age of 16, Marcus Corganne was killed during a routine messenger assignment. At the age of 16, it was made public that Ariel and Anthony had, over the past year, became lovers, and were recently engaged. Ariel earned her shield at the age of 18, and went on to patrol the Tusaine borders for the next two years, while her beloved Anthony was sent to Scanra. Shortly before her 20th birthday, their patrol ended and the couple reunited in Corus, where they were married. Through lineage, Anthony inherited Pirate's Swoop, where they moved to soon after their marriage. Through a past lover, Anthony brought his daughter Kathlyn to the marriage, and together the couple had ten children together, four boys and six girls. Ariel eventually moved back to Corus with her family, as to be closer to those who were now residing at the palace. After her children had all grown up (reached ten years old, that is), Ariel became active again in the knight program, taking up a position as an archery teacher. Ariel lived to the age of 92, and died a beloved mother, wife, knight and teacher. For more information, see Kathlyn Corganne, Lorenzo Corganne, Emmeline Corganne.."_   
  
The list of references went on and on. Willow skimmed through them until one caught her attention. _Kael Serenity._ Willow looked him up next, skimming through his biography until she found something of interest.   
  
_At the age of 18, Kael legally adopted his mother's maiden name, Serenity, as his own, as a tribute to his mother._   
  
Willow quickly dug through her stack of books until she found the one entitled _Noble Lineage: From 400 to 1000._ The year 1000 was only 50 years ago, Willow's grandparents would be listed in this book. She flipped through until finding the Serenity lined. She ran her finger across the page, murmuring to herself.   
  
"Kael married Daria, sons named Kyle, Kael, Anthony..wives..children..Frederick!" On the last rung of the family tree sat the names of Frederick Serenity and his wife Elise, Willow's grandparents. "I'm related to her!" Willow gasped. Quickly she gathered her things and headed down to the musty basement, where the ancient paintings that existed were meticulously cared for. She threw open the large leather-bound book that sat on the table and searched out her ancestor's name. "Row 144.." She murmured to herself, and began searching threw the aisles, eventually recovering several boxes of information. Opening the first one, she carefully drew out the first painting. "Ariel Willow Serenity, age 16.." She read softly to herself. The girl in the picture was sitting atop a gorgeous chestnut mare, sidesaddle. The figure in the portrait donned a dark purple velvet gown, embroidered delicately in silver. Her dark red hair was down and tumbled over her shoulders like two identical waterfalls. She was of obvious small stature - perhaps five feet tall, at most. Willow ran her fingers over the painting.   
  
"She looks like me.." Willow murmured, looking down at her own small size and fingering the dark red hair upon her head that was identical to the young noble's. Placing the portrait down, she pulled the next one out of the box. This one portrayed the same redheaded noble next to another girl who she was obviously very close to. They were both sitting on a stone bench and laughing about some joke or another. Willow smiled and read the name plate tacked to the elaborate frame, "Melusine Desjardins and Ariel Serenity." "Melusine Desjardins.." Willow murmured to herself, and then jotted the name down, resolving to look her up later   
  
Willow looked through the rest of the paintings, which totaled 15 between the two boxes. Five, including the first two, were solo portraits of Ariel, or of Ariel and the other girl together. Another five portraits were of Ariel and who Willow assumed to be her lover and husband, a tall blond man named Anthony Corganne. She noted with a smirk at her own dark attire that he wore all black in every portrait. The last five paintings were what touched Willow the most. They featured the entire Corganne brood - the parents and their ten children. Seven of the children had either pale blond locks like their father, or strawberry blonde. Two girls had gorgeous red manes, just as their mother, and the last small girl had light brown hair, looking slightly out of place among her siblings extraordinary colouring. She smiled and began to put the paintings back, excited to write a report that would ultimately be about her own family.   
  
As Willow placed the painting back into boxes, she noticed a dust-ridden, pocket-sized book in the bottom. Picking it up, she cleaned it with her shirt to reveal bright red leather binding, the symbol of a lioness burned into the leather. Opening the book, she read the title page,   
  
"Numair Salmalin's Journal; An Unauthorized Publication." Willow laughed slightly - this book must be some sort of joke. Numair Salmalin, the great black-robed mage had lived hundreds of years before the time the paintings were from. Curious of what the author had managed to fill the pages with, Willow flipped through. She landed upon a page that read _The Time Jumping Spell._ Curiously, she sounded out the foreign words, stumbling over them. With a smirk, she waited for something to happen, for bells to ring and a vortex to appear to carry her to a different time or dimension. Nothing happened. Rolling her eyes, Willow set the book down on the table and returned the paintings, oblivious to the fact she had left one, that of Melusine and Ariel at a Midwinter Ball, on the table next to the book. Willow left the library, knowing she would return tomorrow to finish her research, and look up that Melusine girl.   
  
~*~   
  
Willow yawned and let herself into her room. Her school, one of the few private ones that existed in Corus, was also one of the even rarer boarding schools. Reaching for her hat, she realized it was not sitting on her head as she thought it was.   
  
"Damn! I must've left it at the library!" Willow sighed, and pulled her scarf a little bit tighter. The December wind was bone-chilling. She walked the short path back to the library quickly, wishing desperately she had not forgotten her hat. Willow checked the table she had occupied quickly, and upon not finding her beloved hat, headed back down into the cellar. There was a strange aura about the cellar that she didn't remember being there that afternoon. Everything seemed to be almost glowing with a mysterious light.   
  
"It's probably the moon, or something." She told herself, opening the door to the large hall she had been in earlier, and proceeded to gasp, almost screaming.   
  
The glow was coming from this room. The little red leather book, specifically. And her hat was right next to the book. She approached the table cautiously, reaching out for her hat. She successfully snatched it, and turned to bolt when something caught her eye. Within the light core's, in the book, there was an image. But not an image exactly, more like a scene being played out. There were characters in rich clothing moving gracefully through a grand ballroom. A small girl in the corner caught her eye.   
  
"Ariel.." She whispered to herself. On an impulse, Willow reached out to touch the girl, and suddenly found herself falling into the light. She screamed, and shut her eyes tightly.


	3. Matthew Love or Philosophy?

_Travel to the Past;   
Part Three_   
  
Upon arriving back at the palace, Ariel and Willow learned two pieces of information from Anthony. First, and most important, Marc had been sent on a messenger's assignment down to the Bazhir, and would be gone for the next week or more. Secondly, the Midwinter Ball was being extended another night, so they would have to get dressed up again for tonight. Ariel grumbled as she threw open her closet doors.   
  
"Damn balls..wear this, cinch that! It's madness!" Ariel pulled out a purple satin gown for herself, and sat down, unknotting the binding on it's corset. "These things are evil. I hate corsets. My grandmother insists on buying them for me." Ariel continued to mutter to herself, violently working with the laces. Willow laughed and pulled her new gown from one of her many shopping bags from the clothing merchant. It was a dark pine green colour and made of velvet. Unlike most dresses, there was only a breast band sewed into the chest, not a full bodice or corset, which allowed the fabric covering her torso to be free to move about, accenting her slim figure wonderfully. The dress was accented with silver embroidery. Ariel put silver earbobs in Willow's ears and a beautiful silver necklace on her, further accenting the silver embroidery and wide-set neckline. Brushing her hair and twisting it expertly, Ariel put her hair up for her with a emerald encrusted silver hair clasp. She painted Willow's lips and eyes lightly, bringing out her natural beauty even further. Ariel smiled proudly at the finished product, and Willow gasped.   
  
Willow had never seen herself as beautiful. But this dress, those gems, and whatever else Ariel had done had proven herself wrong. For the first time, she noticed curves and tucks that she swore hadn't been there before. She had never seen her eyes so bright, so teeth so white, her hair as healthy as it looked tonight. She smiled brightly at Ariel, who matched her practically trait for trait.   
  
"Thank you so much, Ariel!" She hugged her supposed cousin, who laughed and patted her back.   
  
"All in a day's work, Will. Now, c'mon, I need to pick up Anth, and we need to go to the ball!"   
  
Willow's second experience with balls was much more pleasant than her first. The time she had spent in this ancient version of Corus was the most fun she had ever had in her life. Her parents had only crossed her mind a few times during the past four days. She loved them, of course, but they were very wealthy and loved to travel. Willow's choice to enter boarding school only widened the gap between the times she saw her parents. They had not even been able to make it home from Carthak for last Christmas, instead sending her many presents to her grandparents home and having her spend her break there. Her parents loved her, this she knew, but she also knew that they were not the type to settle and raise children. Willow was content, however. She liked boarding school, she had her independence, everything was going along fairly well.   
  
But this new Corus brought an entire new dimension to her life. She felt much more fulfilled standing around with a group of knights, squires and other nobles at a royal ball than she ever could learning about wars and memorizing dates back home in school. Willow spent most of her time at the ball talking with Ane, Mel and Ari, even venturing a dance or two with Anth. At one point, Willow didn't know exactly when, a new person joined their group. He had brown hair and blue eyes. His hair had a slight wave to it that probably created a very attractive feature, had it not been so wild and messy. It obviously never received the attention most hair did, and covered half of his ears, and fell into his eyes. Had it not been so fine, the boy would've been decidedly shaggy looking. His face was young, but slightly gaunt and pale. Willow continued to study the newcomer, who was seated, hunched over a leather bound tome. Ariel giggled, catching Willow staring, and walked over to her, poking her in the side. Willow jumped, and Ariel giggled again.   
  
"Found a love interest, hm?" Willow blushed slightly and shook her head.   
  
"Of course not! He just caught my eye, I've never seen him before." Ariel smirked,   
  
"Sure, sure. That's Matthew Beaumont, the pariah of the Beaumont family." Ariel explained briefly to Willow. Willow turned away from the boy whom she now knew as Matthew Beaumont and looked at Ariel.   
  
"An outcast? Why?" She questioned her cousin. Ariel smiled and looked back at Matthew.   
  
"He's Dominic Beaumont's younger brother. You met Dominic last night, remember? With the blond hair, blue eyes and stunning good looks?" Willow nodded, she remembered the man. He was stunning, that was true enough, but she also remembered his brash personality. Ariel continued her explanation.   
  
"The Beaumonts are from Fief Naxen, they're very high society. Their children are pure-blooded as nobles come. The Duchess Beaumont was a Queen's Lady for many many years, coming from the fief Minch, which is actually a duchy, like Naxen is. They have eight children.." Ariel was explaining when Willow interrupted.   
  
"Sorry, but how do you know all this?" Ariel giggled,   
  
"I'm a noble and a squire, my life is inside this palace, I know all the secrets. And Dom explained it all to me, too." She grinned at Willow, and then continued. "Anyway, The Duke and Duchess Beaumont have eight children; Charles, Dominic, Nicholas, Matthew, Josephine, Catherine, Samantha and Laurel. Charles is 29, and the inheritor of the Duchy Naxen. He's married to Isabella of Meron, another duchy. You see? High society is all they associate with. So, Charles is a knight, Dominic is a knight, and Nicholas is a knight. They were all incredibly successful in the program, some of the best. Josephine and Catherine are both Queen's Ladies, a very prestigious position. Samantha and Laurel just finished their time at the convent, and will be introduced next week to court. Understand?" Willow nodded, of course she understood. This family was rich, powerful and well-bred. The children had an obligation to continue the legacy, even if it meant compromising personal happiness.   
  
"So Matthew is a knight, too?" She asked Ariel, who smirked.   
  
"A scholar. That's why he's the outcast, he chose his personal goals and happiness over the collective goal of the Beaumont family."   
  
"Did they disown him?"   
  
"No. Not yet, at least. He's only 19, and on some level I think they pity him. They probably won't cut him off until he's making enough money to adequately support himself." Willow smiled slightly,   
  
"I feel bad for him.." Ariel grinned,   
  
"Why don't you go over to talk to him?" Willow shook her head.   
  
"I couldn't! He seems so involved in whatever that book is he's reading." Ariel rolled her eyes,   
  
"Oh, he's always reading. Go ahead, make a new friend!" With that, Ariel gave Willow a light shove in Matthew's direction. Willow stumbled a few steps and turned pink. Smoothing the fabric of her dress, she regained the minimal amount of composure she held to begin with, and walked over to Matthew, sitting down next to him. The boy didn't even look up. Willow cleared her throat, and he jumped. Out of his seat, quite literally, the poor book dropping to the ground.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Willow exclaimed, kneeling down to pick up the book.   
  
"Oh, please don't! You'll ruin your dress!" Matthew said, bending down quickly to intercept the book, and intercepting her head instead.   
  
"Ow!" They both exclaimed, and sat down on the ballroom floor. From over on the other side, Willow could hear Dominic and his friends snickering. Matthew blushed lightly and picked up his book, sitting back down. Willow sat back down next to him.   
  
"I'm sorry about that, I didn't see you.. you didn't dirty your dress, did you?" He looked up at her, his bright blue eyes wide. Willow smiled and smooth her dress out.   
  
"Don't apologize, I shouldn't have startled you like that. My dress is perfectly clean." Matthew smiled, and then after a moment, realized he was talking to a girl of nobility, and offered his hand.   
  
"Um, I'm not much for bowing, sorry. My name's Matthew Beaumont." Willow grinned and shook his hand.   
  
"Willow Serenity. It's lovely to meet you." Matthew closed his book, putting it in a heavily beaten leather pack.   
  
"What brings you to the ball, Willow?" He ran a hand through his hair unconsciously, revealing his full face for a brief moment before his locks resumed their residence in front of his eyes. Willow smiled shyly, looking down at her hands.   
  
"Um, it's a long story.." Matthew glanced at Willow and then out onto the ballroom floor, watching the people bustle about and laugh. There were several minutes of awkward silence between the two people. Finally, Matthew coughed and took a sip of what was either some somewhat clear liquor, or water.   
  
"So, um, are you a noble lady?" He asked Willow. Willow couldn't help but laugh slightly,   
  
"No, I'm not a noble lady. You're a scholar, right?" Matthew nodded,   
  
"I am. My family hates me for it, but it's the perfect occupation for myself, I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world." Willow smiled, noticing Matthew relax as he began to talk about his work.   
  
"What's your favourite thing to study?" She questioned him, and smiled more broadly as his eyes lit up.   
  
"Philosophy, of course. There was this ancient Gallan philosopher, Manawydan, and he believed.." Matthew began, spending the next full hour explaining the many philosophers and ideas he had encountered during his numerous hours of study. Willow listened attentively the entire time, captivating by both the subject matter and the storyteller. She loved the amount of vibrancy she could see in him as he went on and on about the hypotheses of Sebastien Henri, or how in the later years of his life, Lindhall Reed and Numair Salmalin, two very close personal friends, went on to write two starkly contrasting books on philosophy and politics. It was fascinating. Moreover, Matthew was fascinating. Willow felt as if the night had barely begun when a droopy eyed Ariel tapped her on the shoulder.   
  
"Huh? What's up, Ariel?" Willow asked, finally taking a moment to stretch.   
  
"It's fair late, Will. Past one in the morning, the ball's almost cleared out. Let's go back." Willow blinked and looked around, observing that Ariel was correct. There were a few impassioned couples still sharing a private moment on the balcony, but other than the couples and some diehard dancing fanatics, the ballroom was empty. Even Dominic and Simon, known for their partying capabilities, appeared to have gone to bed. Willow nodded,   
  
"Okay, we can go back. I'll be ready in a second." Ariel nodded and yawned, dragging her worn down body over to a chair by the door, where she sat waiting for her cousin. Willow smiled at Matthew and stood up.   
  
"That was fascinating, Matthew. I had a really nice time talking with you." Matthew smiled a bit and stood as well.   
  
"Thank you for listening. Perhaps we could see each other again, to continue the conversation?" He questioned, a hopeful tone in his voice. Willow smiled, genuinely happy at the invitation,   
  
"That'd be wonderful, Matthew.." She smiled at him. Excitement began brewing in his blue eyes.   
  
"How about tomorrow, at the Royal Library? I do my work on the fourth floor, deep in the philosophy section, near the back. Is that all right with you, Willow?" She nodded,   
  
"That sounds great, Matthew. I'll see you then." He smiled and helped her put on her cloak.   
  
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Willow. Have a lovely evening." With that, Matthew picked up his pack and slung it over his shoulder, heading off to wherever he was staying. Willow smiled, watching him go, and then headed over to Ariel, who teased her the entire walk back to her room.   
  
~*~   
  
The next day, after fending off Ariel's continued barrage of teasings and torments, Willow managed to bathe and dress herself in a pair of blue breeches and a dark green shirt, brushing her hair out and leaving it down. As an afterthought, she put the silver earbobs Ariel had lent her back into her ears, and headed off for the library. No matter what time period she was living in, Willow would always know where the Royal Library was. She couldn't help gasp as she entered, taken back by the beautiful tapestries that adorned the interior. The Royal Library of her own, although beautiful in it's own way, had muddy red carpet and depressing, dank stone walls. The younger version of the same building had breathtaking, thick tapestries hanging from every wall. Looking around, she picked out ones that depicted scenes from many of the Tortallan wars, including several from the Immortals War. Others revealed Mithros and his council, the royal Tortallan lineage, among countless other designs. As she walked up the winding stairs, Willow noticed every banner had been polished so people could see their reflections in the wood, and the stone floors were immaculate.   
  
Willow reached the fourth floor and began to wander through it, searching for the philosophy section. It was not until she asked a clerk that she learned the entire floor *was* the philosophy section. Finding the stairs again, she oriented herself, and began walking towards the back of the building. After a few minutes of walking through the literary maze, she found Matthew. He was bent over another book, sitting a long table that reminded her of the ones they had the cafeteria back home, only this table was made from rich mahogany, most likely hand-crafted at a northern fief, where lumber and mining were the main businesses. She smiled, and cleared her throat. Matthew look up and grinned,   
  
"Willow! You came!" She laughed and took a seat that he offered to her.   
  
"Of course I came, I said I was going to!" He smiled slightly and marked a page in a book, closing in gently.   
  
"I've been disappointed many times before by people, I tend to take agreements in light until they actually occur." Willow shifted slightly. That had not been the answer she expected. Tucking a renegade hair behind her ear, she smiled at him.   
  
"So, shall we continue our conversation? I think we had just reached the teachings of Burke." Matthew broke out into a broad grin.   
  
"Burke. One of my favourites." He told her, and jumped right into the conversation, captivating Willow again with his words. She sat and listened to him talk, conversing with him when he found his knowledge rusty about a certain philosopher or idea. The conversation lasted several hours. When Matthew finally ran out of philosophers to tell her about, she grinned at him.   
  
"That's..amazing!" Willow told him. Matthew blinked, taken back,   
  
"You think it's amazing?" He asked in a disbelieving tone of voice. Willow laughed,   
  
"Of course I think it's amazing! The ideas, the people, their histories, their connections.." She trailed off, pausing for breath. "And the fact you about so much about so many! I would've thought it'd take a lifetime to learn so much." Matthew grinned shyly, and blushed.   
  
"It's..it's really not that hard. I mean, I've been studying for almost ten years.." He told her, shyly. She smiled,   
  
"Nine years? How old are you?" He laughed, slightly.   
  
"I'm 19. What about yourself? I know it isn't proper for me to be asking a lady her age, but I'm a curious fellow, and not all that proper." He told her, still grinning a bit. Willow giggled,   
  
"I'm 16 years old." He nodded, absorbing the information. Willow shifted, resting her elbow on the table, and her hand in her hand.   
  
"Tell me more about yourself, Willow. Where did you grow up? What is your family like? What kinds of things do you enjoy?" Willow scrunched up her face a bit, thinking. She was never good at talking about herself for any amount of time over a minute.   
  
"Well..let's see. I grew up around Runnerspring, that's where my Dad is from. My mom and he travel almost all the time, so I don't really see them that often. I'm an only child, so I mostly fended for myself. Um..I was staying at a boarding house for awhile, and then I decided to come here. This is where I met Ariel, she's my cousin, I'm staying with her right now. What do I enjoy? My favourite colour is dark green, my favourite food is anything Yamani, really. I like to read, so my favourite things to study are literature and history. I think philosophy will become a new favourite now, after this." She said, grinning at him. Matthew grinned back. "So, what about yourself, Matthew?"   
  
"Me? I'm fair boring, I'm afraid. I'm the youngest Beaumont, from Naxen. My parents are kind, loving people, but they're also..nobility purists, let's call them. I was destined to become a knight in their eyes, and they were incredibly disappointed when I adopted a scholarly path instead. At ten years old I used my savings to ship myself off to the University, where I quickly excelled in the study of philosophy. After completing the general academia program at 14, I began studying to obtain a mastery in philosophy. I won't receive an official robe or anything for it, but it'll make me happen. I still have a few years to go, though. As for what I enjoy.. my favourite colour is dark blue or brown, and my favourite foods are anything I eat with ease, and without dirtying book bindings with crumbs. You obviously know my favourite area of study already." He said, grinning at her. They sat for several minutes, simply looking at each other. Although there was silence, the room and both parties were at ease. Finally, a gear turned in Willow's head and she remembered something vital.   
  
"Oh!" She exclaimed. Matthew blinked, startled.   
  
"Oh? Is something wrong? Are you late for an appointment?" He questioned. She laughed, shaking her head.   
  
"Sorry for startling you. No, nothing like that. I just remembered something I wanted to ask you." He grinned, obviously happy that she did not need to part just yet.   
  
"What is it, then?"   
  
"I'm looking for a book. It's a small book, pocket-sized, and bound in bright red leather. It's a copy of Numair Salmalin's spell journal. It's really important that I find it.. could you help me?" Willow asked him, looking into his bright blue eyes. Within herself, she felt something stirring. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, she felt it most of the time she was around Thomas. However, unlike the feeling she felt around Thomas, this one was stronger. *Much* stronger. She swallowed and shook her head slightly, trying to clear her mind. She blinked her eyes tightly, and looked back up at him. Matthew had been talking while her mind was wandering, but she managed to catch the end of what he had been saying.   
  
"...never seen a book like that before, but I'm sure it exists if you know about it. This library has practically every book ever printed, I bet if it's anywhere, it's here." Matthew explained to Willow, who smiled and nodded her agreement. "Let's go book hunting, shall we?" Willow giggled,   
  
"Let's!"   
  
With that, Willow and Matthew began to search the library for the one little book that would give Willow's true life back to her. They searched together for several hours, through the mathematical theorems section and the tribal language section, the entire philosophy section twice over, and the section in the basement that held personal artifacts of well known historical figures. By the time they finally stopped, it was pitch black outside, and the wind was blowing fiercely. They stood at the doorway, both tired and sore from all the searching. Willow shivered and pulled her coat around her body tightly as she looked outside, watching the wind blow pieces of trash around violently. Matthew looked down at her,   
  
"You didn't bring a scarf?" Willow shook her head, smiling slightly.   
  
"It was warm this afternoon, when I came." She told him. He hesitated for a moment, and then wrapped his thick blue scarf around her neck.   
  
"It'll keep you warm." Willow smiled up at him,   
  
"Thank you, Matthew, but don't you need this? You'll freeze out there, you don't even have a coat!" Matthew grinned and shrugged,   
  
"I'll be fine. I like the cold." Willow rolled her eyes, but didn't argue the point any further. There was an awkward silence between the two. Tentatively, Matthew bent down and gently brushed Willow's cheek with his lips. Willow blushed, feeling the heat rise in her face.   
  
"I-I'll talk to you later, Matthew.." She managed to tell him, before rushing out of the library and into the night. She turned back once, after she had been walking for a few moments, and saw him standing the middle of the street, watching her. She gathered all her courage up and waved him a cheerful goodbye. Even from her distance, she could practically see his face light up as he returned the wave, and turned to head home. Willow turned and rushed back to the warmth of the palace, her insides churning. She had never felt so giddy in her entire life. The feelings were bubbling up inside her, washing over her in waves. Willow felt like she could've walked on air the rest of the way home. She couldn't wait to tell Ariel about her day.   
  
When she entered her cousin's room, however, her excitement immediately died. She could tell something was very, *very* wrong. Ariel and Anthony were both in the room; it was the first time Willow had ever seen him in Ariel's room, although she assumed he must go in and out a lot, considering how close they were. Anthony's arms were around her tightly, and Ariel's face was buried in his chest. Looking up at his face, Willow noticed how bloodshot his eyes were, and thick tear stains running down his cheeks. Ariel took a shaky breath, and Willow could hear her begin to sob into his chest. Anthony was murmuring to her quietly.   
  
"It's going to be okay, Ari.. no one could have expected this, but we'll get through it.." He told her gently, stroking her hair. Willow hated to interrupt, but she desperately wanted to know what had happened. Walking closer to the couple so she could speak softly, she looked at Anthony.   
  
"What happened?" Willow questioned in a hushed tone. Ariel didn't even seem to notice. Anthony sighed and glanced down at Ariel, then back at Willow.   
  
"Marc, my brother, and her lover..he went on a messenger's assignment a few days ago, and we just received the word.. he was murdered by hillmen." Willow's eyes went wide, remembering the boy from the first night of the ball. He had been so large, so muscled, Willow couldn't imagine anyone being able to take him down.   
  
"I'm so sorry.." She said softly. She knew it wouldn't help either of them begin to heal their wounds, but it was all she could think of. Trying to be helpful, Willow gathered up her cloak. "This seems like a personal.. is there somewhere I can go?" Anth nodded, grateful that Willow was so understanding of the circumstances.   
  
"Mel's room in just down the hall. Ian's gone to help with the funeral preparations, so she should be by herself." Willow nodded,   
  
"All right. Thank you, and I'm very sorry, once again." She told them both, and left quietly. Willow found Mel's room easily, the door was open. Knocking on the door frame quietly as she entered, she found Mel not in a state of mourning. Rather, she was cleaning her large dagger collection.   
  
"Mel?" Willow said, her tone a mixture of surprise of confusion. Mel looked up, putting a small dagger down.   
  
"Willow, hi. I take it you've been to Ariel's room?" Willow nodded, taking a seat on the bed.   
  
"I felt bad intruding on them like that, so Anthony mentioned that I could come to your room. You're not in mourning?" Willow asked, before she realized it was rude. Mel laughed and looked down at her blue and brown outfit,   
  
"No, I'm not in mourning. I know it sounds awful, but.. he wasn't a nice person, Willow. I suppose you've never heard the stories, have you?" Willow shook her head, her brow furrowing. She remembered him being very possessive of Ariel at the ball, but she figured that just came from raging male hormones. She never thought there could be anything behind that.   
  
"What are the stories?" Willow asked, her curiosity sparked. Mel put away her dagger collection and sat down.   
  
"I probably shouldn't be telling you this, since you're Ariel's cousin and close to her, but.. well, like I said, he isn't a nice person. Nor was he a good person, in my opinion. He's overly possessive, brash, rude, he's a true brute to the bone. If you ever met his father, you would see where it came from. His father beat his children when he was angry at anything, and if Marc had survived long enough to have children, I'm sure he would have too. His temper was so short, it was unbearable. I don't know how Ariel put up with him. When they began to date one another, we were at a party, and somehow an argument got started between Marc and me. Before I knew it, he had beaten me up so badly that three of my ribs had cracked and I was black and blue all over. I had to tell Sir Tristan, the head of the program, that I fell down the stairs." Mel smirked, remembering the incident. Willow's eyes widened, she could hardly believe what she had just been told. Mel continued,   
  
"Then, he used to beat on Anthony. Anthony's a bastard son, his father was one of the men at arms of the fief. His mother was a true strumpet, she should've been living in Lower Corus in a harem, not at the castle of King's Reach." Willow had to break in,   
  
"If there's such bad blood in the King's Reach line, then what about Ian?" Mel smiled. Ian was one of the older Corganne brother, as well as her knightmaster and her lover.   
  
"I don't really know, Willow. All I know is Ian and Anth are some of the kindest, gentlest men you will ever meet, bad blood or none." Willow smiled.   
  
"That's good to know. But, continue about Marc." Mel nodded, and shifted, pulling her legs up underneath her.   
  
"Anyway, Marc always used to beat on Anthony. Every chance he had to make a crack about Anth's parentage, he made it. It wore heavily on Anthony's self-esteem. He's still rebuilding, really. Ariel's helped him, but he's still very vulnerable. You can see it when you look into his eyes." Willow smiled slightly, knowing exactly the look Mel was referring to. She had seen it the very first time she had met Anthony, at the ball. It was the same look a kicked puppy, or a struck child held in their eyes, but Anthony's never seemed to go away. It was awful that someone could destroy their brother like that.   
  
Mel continued her story of Marc's true nature.   
  
"When Marc and Ariel became lovers, ironically, that's when Ariel started sleeping in my bed. He would have his fun, and then kick her out of bed so he could have a good night's sleep. Ariel would sneak over to my room and sleep in my bed, usually because she was confused and hurt afterwards. I don't believe it for a moment that Marc was gentle in *any* aspect. So, there you have it. That's what Marc was like, and don't let anyone tell you different. Now you see why I'm not in mourning for the dumb bastard?" Willow nodded slightly, still digesting everything Mel had told her. She finally stood up,   
  
"Thanks for telling me all this, Mel. Um, are you going to the funeral?" Willow asked, trying to figure out what her next course of action should be. Mel nodded,   
  
"Of course. I may have hated the boy, but Ariel didn't, and he was Ian and Anth's brother. I have to support them. The funeral is the day after tomorrow, if you'd like to attend." Willow nodded,   
  
"I think I will. Thank you." Willow told her, and exited. She made her way back to Ariel's room, thinking about everything Mel had divulged. It was hard to grasp the idea that such a bright, kind, girl like Ariel would ever be Marc's lover, especially if the stories Mel told were factual. She sighed slightly,   
  
"I suppose it's true that love is blind.." She said to herself, remembering the well used cliché. She put her hand on the doorknob to let herself in, but then paused, holding her ear to the door. She could no longer hear Ariel sobbing, or Anthony soothing her, so she carefully and quietly let herself slip into the room. Ariel was laying on top of the bed, fast asleep, while Anthony was going through her closet, choosing a funeral outfit for the poor girl.   
  
"She finally made herself pass out from crying." Anth told Willow quietly, after placing a plain black dress on a chair. He paused for a moment and then shuddered, quickly shoving the dress back into the closet.   
  
"What was wrong with that dress?" She asked Anthony, who sighed, pulling out another black dress and laying it down on the chair.   
  
"It brings back.. painful memories." He told her, and closed the closet door. Not being able to connect the dress with anything Mel had told her about Marc, Willow pressed him for information.   
  
"What kind of painful memories?" She asked. He sighed and looked at Willow.   
  
"When Marc and Ariel first became lovers, Ariel's older sisters, Michalina, Kayla and Clarissa all hated him, with every fiber of their being. They told her to dump him, and find someone better. When she refused, the four got into a huge argument. Michalina continued to fight with her, telling her she would end up becoming pregnant and dropping out of the knight program, and countless other insults. Ariel's a strong little girl, but she's also incredibly close to her sisters. She couldn't take it when they began to severe ties with her, and she.." Anthony swallowed, tears brimming in his eyes. Willow put a hand on his shoulder. Anthony choked back the tears,   
  
"She left her sister Micha a morbid note, and she slit her wrists..in that dress.." Willow put a hand over her mouth in shock. Ariel? The spunky little girl everyone called a pixie? She had tried to kill herself? Willow couldn't imagine it, but as she looked back at Ariel, sleeping peacefully upon the bed, she noticed for the first time the shiny glint of a scar upon her wrist, and a reddish stain on the middle of her floor. Willow shuddered herself, involuntarily. Anth nodded,   
  
"She's had some rough times. That's why I don't want to leave her alone right now. Marc's really done some twisted things to her mind, and I would hate to lose her again.." Willow nodded and hugged him. Anth returned the hug tightly,   
  
"Thanks for listening." He told her. "You'll be in here, right?" Willow nodded. She wasn't going to let anything happen to the girl she had became so close to so quickly. Anthony smiled slightly, and headed for the door that connected a squire's room to their knightmaster's.   
  
"Thanks. If you need anything, I'll be in my room." He told her, and quietly let himself out. Willow sat down in a chair, and watched Ariel sleep, wondering what would happen next.   
  
~*~   
  
Willow attended the funeral along side of Anthony, Ariel, Ian and Mel. She saw several other people she recognized there, such as Dominic Beaumont and Simon Ravenhill. She noted in the back of her mind that she did not see Matthew there, although that was unimportant. She sat through the entire process dry-eyed, yet she was somber and melancholy. She saw Ariel crying feverishly into Anth's chest, who was crying gently himself, and Mel offering Ian a handkerchief to wipe his eyes with. She had no doubt they all knew the stories Mel had told her earlier that week, most of them had probably been there when they occurred. Yet, they seemed forgotten temporarily as Marc was eulogized by his father and the head of the training program, Sir Tristan. Afterwards, they headed to a short reception. Ariel had finally stopped crying, and now had taken the look of someone who was brain dead. She did not move, eat or talk. Willow wondered if she was even fully conscious. Anthony tended to her carefully throughout the day, and carried her to bed that evening, where she fell asleep without a word.   
  
The next morning, Willow woke early and decided to take a walk through the palace gardens, to clear her own mind and allow Anthony and Ariel more personal time, if they needed it. When she returned in the late morning, she put her ear to the door. She could hear Anthony and Ariel talking through it.   
  
"How are you feeling, Aribelle?" Anthony asked as he sat down on her bed. Ariel was still laying in bed, looking pale and unrested, even though she had slept over 13 hours the previous night.   
  
"Better, I guess.." Ariel replied. Ariel propped herself up in bed, and Anth smiled slightly, brushing her hair out of her face.   
  
"You're looking better." He told her, lying. She rubbed her eyes,   
  
"I feel like I was run down by a stampede of horses.." Ariel replied. There was silence between the two for several minutes. Finally, Anth took one of Ariel's petite hands into his own large ones, playing with her fingers.   
  
"Ariel?" He asked. Ariel looked at him,   
  
"Yeah, Anth?" Willow pressed her ear to the door harder.   
  
"I know I shouldn't be asking you this the day after the funeral, but I'm not a proper person. Do you still love me?" He looked at her, his eyes desperately trying to search her response before she vocalized it. The question made Ariel smile slightly.   
  
"I do.." She said, softly. Anthony broke out into a broad grin.   
  
"I love you too.. I don't want to jump into anything, I know you're still hurting.. I just wanted to know.." He told her. Ariel smiled and moved closer to him.   
  
"Okay. Thank you, Anth." There was silence in the room. Willow waited several moments, listening hard. When nothing was said, she carefully opened the door a crack, peaking in. She smiled widely at the scene she saw before her. Ariel and Anth were kissing softly, Ariel's hands intertwined with Anthony's. Willow closed the door carefully and headed off to take another pass through the gardens, allowing Anthony and Ariel the rest of the morning in privacy. 


	4. Bad Dreams and White Weddings

_Travel to the Past:   
Part Four_   
  
This was bad. This was very, very bad. Willow looked around, desperately searching for some sort of landmark, but nothing looked familiar. She started to run down a back alleyway, hoping it was some sort of shortcut. Willow couldn't see where the alley ended, it twisted and turned, acting more like a maze than a possible escape room. She heard a horse whinny from somewhere behind her. Willow gasped and pumped her legs harder. She couldn't let the person on horse's back catch her, or she'd be doomed.   
  
A sharp turn to the left came in the alleyway. As she turned, her feet hit a patch of ice, and she fell, her body contorting violently in an attempt to catch herself. Her ankle slammed into the opposite wall, and bent at an unnatural angle. Willow screamed, hearing the bone crack loudly. She could hear the horse's feet pounding against the tightly packed snow. The rider pulled the horse into a quick stop as she was spotting, laying helpless on the ice. The rider dismounted, and grabbed her wrist. Willow screamed again and tried to pull her wrist away, but it was futile.   
  
"Stop screaming, Willow!" Willow gasped and looked up. It was Thomas! The thickly padded winter clothes had masked his lithe form beyond recognition.   
  
"Oh, I'm so glad it's you, Thomas.. I think I broke my ankle.." She told him. Without a word, Thomas picked her up and set her down on the horse, before mounting behind her. Wrapping his arms around her, Thomas grabbed the reins and set off at a healthy canter.   
  
"I'm taking you home, Willow." He said, simply. Willow whipped her head around, trying to face him as best she could.   
  
"Home? You mean to the boarding school? Don't take me home, Thomas! I can't go home!" She began to plead. He ignored her, stating simply,   
  
"It's where you belong, Willow. Stop fighting, and come home. Now." There wasn't a hopeful hint in his voice, it was a pure command.   
  
"No!" She exclaimed, and began to push at his arms, trying to throw one of them off the horse. Despite being thin, he was also very toned, and easily kept her trapped on the horse. Desperate to escape, Willow pulled her legs up and vaulted herself off the horse, ignoring the blinding pain from her ankle. She thrashed her limbs violently, trying to grab a hold of something. Finally turning her head forward, she found herself about to hit the alleyway wall dead on. Willow opened her mouth to scream, but it was cut short as her head hit the wall, the thick sound vibrating in the air. Blood gushed from a large wound, staining the pure white snow. Willow felt herself falling into the cold darkness, unable to save herself.   
  
Reaching out for something, anything, she encountered a soft, slightly mushy object. Willow gasped and sat straight up, looking around. She was laying in the same makeshift bed she had been sleeping in for the past month now. She had thrown off her covers and shoved her pillows away during the night, explaining why she felt so cold in the dream. Examining her ankle, she found it intact and properly functioning. Rearranging her bed correctly, she groaned slightly and laid back down. Thomas? She hadn't thought about Thomas since the 2nd day after she had been transporting back in time almost 400 years, to the time where her ancestor Ariel Serenity existed. Willow yawned and rubbed her eyes, thinking about how adamant she had been about staying.   
  
"Well, it makes sense, I suppose." She said softly to herself. It had been a full month since she had arrived in this ancient version of her hometown. She had met more interesting and beautiful people in this single month than she had met throughout her entire life back in the modern world. She loved everything about ancient Corus: the balls, the absence of democracy, the abundance of joy that seemed to float through the entire city, living the palace, mingling with knights and nobles.. everything. There wasn't a single thing in the city Willow didn't embrace with open arms.   
  
"Why should I ever go back?" She asked herself. Her mind drifted back to her parents, who didn't see her as often as she liked, but loved her dearly. There were her friends from school, and Thomas as well. They were probably worried sick about her back home. Willow sighed, and rolled in bed again, growing restless. She knew she would have to go back home eventually. It was all just a matter of finding that simple little red book, reading the spell, and traveling back to the simple life.   
  
"I shouldn't worry." She told herself. "Once I find the book, I'll be able to go back when I'm ready. No sooner." Content with that thought, Willow closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.   
  
~*~   
  
"I hate January." Ariel announced over breakfast that morning. Anthony laughed, and Willow raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Do you now, Aribelle?" He asked her. Hearing Anthony use that darling nickname made Willow smile. Ariel scowled.   
  
"I do! And I hate February, too." Willow giggled, joining in on the interrogation.   
  
"Why do you hate January and February, Ariel?" She asked her cousin. Ariel crossed her arms and pouted, looking no older than three.   
  
"There's too much snow! It snows and it snows and it snows, and I still have to practice! It's horrible, awful torture." Ariel exclaimed, sighing dramatically. "I should just resign myself to the life of a noble lady and grow fat, staying inside all winter eating chocolates and tea." She announced, continuing her dramatic note. Willow cracked up, trying to imagine what Ariel would look at five feet and 300 pounds. Ariel's scowled deepened, and sighed again, throwing her hand against her forehead.   
  
"Oh, nobody loves me! I live in a cruel, cruel world." Anthony laughed and rolled his eyes, kissing the top of her head.   
  
"Go get bundled up for practice, Ari." Ari smiled at Anth and headed off to her room to get changed. Willow smiled and stood as well.   
  
"I should be going. I'm meeting Matthew at the library. We're going to head down to Lower Corus today." Willow ran a brush through her hair, pulling it back into a horsetail. Anth smiled a bit.   
  
"You've been spending a lot of time with Matthew this past month. This is Matthew Beaumont, right?" Willow nodded,   
  
"Yeah, he's a Beaumont." Anthony smirked.   
  
"Good to know you've finally found yourself a lover, Willow." Willow gasped, becoming flustered and red in the face.   
  
"A lover?! No, no, Matthew is just my friend! We have common interests, we enjoy hanging out together. It's nothing like that, Anthony. Girls and boys can be just friends, you know." Anthony laughed and finished off his coffee with a long sip.   
  
"Sure, I know. I'm just teasing, Willow." Willow blushed slightly,   
  
"Oh!" He grinned.   
  
"Go meet up with Matthew, Will. I don't want to make you late." Willow smiled and nodded her goodbye to Anthony, heading out for the library.   
  
As Willow walked to the library, she kept Matthew on her mind. Was it possible for her to be simply friends with him? They had spent a lot of time together over the past month, becoming best friends very easily. What if something more was to come of this? Willow laughed softly to herself and shook her head, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind. It was a beautiful but freezing January afternoon. The sun reflected brightly off the sparse snow on the ground, and the virgin flakes that were beginning to fall softly as Willow headed to her rendezvous.   
  
By the time Willow had reached the library, the snow had begun to fall considerably faster and with much more force. Willow debated briefly about telling Matthew they needed to reschedule their latest scholarly meeting, but decided against it, instead mentally vowing to leave earlier than normal. She would simply head straight from Lower Corus, where they would be searching for that bothersome little red book, rather than heading back to Matthew's apartment or the library afterwards. It would be that simple. Or at least she hoped so.   
  
Heading up the stairs, she found Matthew wrapping his tattered scarf tightly around his neck, picking up a poorly knitted hat and pulling it over his messy hair. Willow smiled, and stopped midway.   
  
"Ready to go, Matthew?" She questioned. He jumped and looked up, startled.   
  
"Willow! Yes, yes, of course I'm ready to go. Do you have gloves, a hat? Are you layered?" Willow laughed and nodded, and Matthew grinned.   
  
"And I brought some blankets and food over.. I thought we could have dinner here..you know, a literary picnic." Matthew told her, his expression somewhere between hopelessly hopeful and utterly embarrassed. Willow faltered, thinking about the promise she had made to herself only minutes earlier. The last thing she wanted to happen was to get stuck at some seedy inn or all night pub in Lower Corus. She looked up at Matthew to decline the offer, and faltered again, seeing the look on his face. She coughed and took a breath, smiling and biting the inside of her cheek as a reprimand.   
  
"That sounds lovely, Matthew. I'm sure it'll be the best part of the day." Matthew's face broke out into a wide grin, and the two headed down the stairs to the main doors.   
  
They began the long walk to Lower Corus in silence, Willow watching the now moderately heavy snowfall, Matthew watching Willow watch the snow. A conversation finally struck up between the two. They talked about anything and everything, and before they knew it, they had arrived in the district of Lower Corus Matthew felt they would have the greatest chance of success in. Matthew lead Willow into a tiny, darkly-lit shop. The entire store could not have been larger than a small apartment, and with less room to move about in. Along every wall, book cases stood, reaching up to the ceiling, books dangerously close to spilling out. Independent stacks of books that came as high as Willow's hip created several aisles in the center of the store, and off to the right of the door sat a small table and stool, where the owner of the shop sat, reading. He was an older man, most likely about 60 years of age. His bald head was dotted lightly with age spots, and upon his nose sat thick spectacles in gold frames. The man was clad in tunic and hose that were the color of dirty wash water, and the leather shoes on his feet had holes in them. Willow looked to Matthew, and he tilted his head slightly, motioning for Willow to follow him through the first makeshift aisle.   
  
"A little red leather book, right?" He asked, browsing through the hundreds of volumes, occasionally picking up a book for himself. Willow nodded, heading over to the far side of the store. Despite finding several introductory volumes to philosophy, the search through the small store was fruitless. Matthew took Willow's books from her and placed them all on the table. The man glanced up from his book and dog-eared a page, placing it down. He readjusted his rear end on the wooden stool and coughed, leaning over the table.   
  
"Seven books..let's see here..carry the 2.." The man murmured to himself, scratching out the math on a tear of paper. "That'll be 30 coppers." He announced after several moments. Before Willow could even reach for her change purse, Matthew had produced the due charge, and the man was wrapping up the books in a bundle.   
  
"Matthew!" She exclaimed, looking up at him indignantly, her hands on her hips. Matthew laughed,   
  
"Don't worry about it, Willow, I wanted to. Besides, you need to save all your money in case we find that little red book you're talking about, and it turns out to be some kind of ancient heirloom. Now *those* are expensive." He replied, and took the wrapped bundle, thanking the shop owner. The man vocalized a sound somewhere between a grunt and a grumble that the pair took as a response, and left the store.   
  
Willow and Matthew searched through several more book shops during the afternoon, but the little red book was not in any of them. Each time Willow left a new store and ventured back out onto the streets of Lower Corus, she noticed how quickly the snow was building up. By the time they began their walk to the Royal Library, a solid eight inches of snow sat upon the streets of the city. Willow looked up at the palace nervously; the snow showed no signs of stopping soon. It was hard enough at present to walk anywhere, if three or four more inches settled, she doubted she would be able to make it back safely. Matthew, however, seemed less than concerned about what seemed to be an incoming blizzard. He marched along the road contentedly, ignoring the snow that was drenching the bottom of his pants, and no doubt his shoes. She laughed quietly to herself, watching him trudge through the white nuisance. She'd never met anyone in her life quite like Matthew. He was funny, almost goofy, but incredibly shy and quiet at the same time. A true introvert, Willow thought to herself. Just like me, really, she thought, thinking of her own mannerisms. Thomas had always said she was moody, not introverted, but Willow knew better. She was equally content to spend time with her friends as she was to sit alone for hours on end, engrossed in a good book. Willow smiled, looking up at Matthew. No wonder we connected so easily, she said silently. We're similar, but we have a lot to teach each other. That was the best kind of relationship there was, in Willow's opinion.   
  
"Hey, Matthew?" She asked as they turned right onto University Lane, the street the library sat upon. He looked down at her, making a face as he finally realized what his poor pants had endured.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"Do you think the snow's going to stop soon? We won't be snowed in, will we? I mean, being snowed in a library is a wonderful fantasy, but I'm not sure about the reality." She asked, her eyes following snowflakes as they danced down from the heavens slowly, taking residence on their coats and in their hair.   
  
"I'm sure it'll stop. The biggest snowstorms usually fall in December and February. They usually skip January, we don't need to worry." He told her, and pulled on the brass handle of the library's main doors. The doors opened several inches and then stopped.   
  
"What the.." Matthew mumbled, and pulled again. Willow heard the cartilage in his elbow rumble, and he let go, wincing slightly.   
  
"It must be the snow, we'll have to shovel it out of the way with our hands or something." Willow said, and begin moving layers of snow with the side of her shoe. After several minutes, they had cleared a path for the door, and it swung open and closed with ease, though the snow was quickly piling in front of it again. Willow gave the infant pile a nervous glance, and walked inside.   
  
As Matthew stoked the fire and set up the literary picnic he had promised her, Willow doodled idly on a piece of paper, thinking about her real life. What if she never found that silly little book? She'd live out her entire life in a time she really didn't belong in. She loved everything about Corus, but once in awhile, Willow desperately wanted to have access to a computer, or just settle down next to her newly found friends and watch something on television. And that was only the tip of the iceberg. She had been in Corus for slightly over a month now, and the yearning to tell someone the truth about herself was starting to build. Thinking about the people she knew now, she wondered how they would react. Ariel would take it in stride with a squeak and a witty comment, as usual. Ian and Anthony would probably go wide-eyed for a moment, and then burst out laughing and what they would assume was a joke. Mel may believe her, Willow couldn't be sure, but she didn't seem like the type of person who'd want to sit back and here about the hundreds of alien concepts that Willow knew about. Dominic and Simon would tease, and Ane would gasp and write every word she spoke down in her blank book, thinking about what a wonderful novel her tall tale would make.   
  
And then there was Matthew. Matthew was forever pouring over thick volumes, day after day, searching for new theories, and projects and idea that would either prove or refute them. Anything new and intellectually challenging captivated him. Willow smirked slightly, imagining how he would react if she tried to describe the Internet to him - how he would be able to reach practically any document in milliseconds. She could see how his eyes would light up as she explained electricity to him, and then the amazement drifted away as he realized that that meant the Gift had become archaic, and practically nonexistent. Willow frowned, thinking about how her world treated the rare children who were born so richly Gifted that they were not able to simply not use it. Those children were taken away from their families at a very young age - often before a real bond was formed between the parents and the infant. The parents were always too scared of their child's power to try to raise them, instead choosing the same method every parent did. There was a school set up, far in the mountains, where the children were raised by teachers and mentors, completely isolated from mainstream society. The children were taught how to develop and therefore control their ability. Those who mastered the concept and overcame the rejection of their parents were able to be reintroduced into society, with no one the wiser. However, most times as the children grew older and learned the truth about their special school, they became depressed and reclusive. Most ended up living as students and then teachers at the same school, others ran away and died or became mountain hermits. Rarely, some went back to society and became activists, speaking out against the segregation of the Gifted. Willow knew several of the activists It was one of the few political aspects of her personality, but she was very adamant about it. She smiled broadly, watching the royal green air shimmer around Matthew's hand, in the air, and in the now roaring flames of the fire. It was one of the aspects Willow loved most about the ancient world she was now slowly becoming a part of - the freedom.   
  
Matthew looked over at Willow, smiling gently as he watched he daydream.   
  
"Willow? Dinner's ready." He called to her. Willow blinked and looked over at him.   
  
"Sorry, what?" He laughed softly.   
  
"I said, dinner's ready." He motioned to the floor, where a large, thick red blanket was spread out. Sitting upon the blanket was several bowls and plates, each with something different on them. Willow smiled and walked over, sitting down on the blanket and taking a plate, filling it with sampling from all the dishes. Matthew sat and did the same, and they ate quietly.   
  
After they finished, Matthew packed up all the dishes into a large pack he had with him, and folded up the blanket. The two gathered up the rest of their things, and headed towards the door. Willow yawned - this had been fun, but she was tired and ready to go home and go to bed, now. Matthew grinned and ruffled her hair.   
  
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, all right?" She nodded.   
  
"Okay. Thanks for today, and dinner and everything, it was a lot of fun." Matthew smiled gently at her.   
  
"It was my pleasure." He told her, and pushed on the door. It didn't open. Matthew scowled and pushed again, harder this time. The door moaned and creaked open an inch. Willow gasped. Keeping the door closed was a solid four feet the snow, the result of the heavy snow and gusting winds. Willow knew that whenever there was a sizable amount of snow and wind that large snow drifts were possible, but the thought hadn't even crossed her mind that it would get to be so deep. Matthew grunted and pushed against the door again, but to no avail. The snow was there, and it was not going away. He sighed, leaning against it.   
  
"What are we going to do? We're stuck here." He told her. Willow scowled. She knew this was going to happen - she had even promised herself she was going to purposely go home early to avoid this from happening. And yet, she was stuck in the library. Looking around, she noticed the large red blanket sitting with Matthew's things.   
  
"We have a blanket. We'll have to set up camp in front of the fire, and wait until someone bails us out. There's no way to contact anyone, is there?" She asked. Matthew shook his head, spreading out the blanket.   
  
"Nope. We have a fire going, and I'm sure every house in Corus does too, but I'm not trained well enough with my Gift to do anything with that." Matthew doubled the blanket over, creating a makeshift sleeping bag. "Go ahead, crawl in and go to sleep." He said to Willow, who sat down and began to unlace her boots.   
  
"What about yourself? Do you have another blanket?"   
  
"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'll sleep on the ground next to the fire, or in a chair or something. I'll be fine."   
  
"Matthew, it's cold. You need to be under the blanket too." She told him, flushing slightly as she realized that meant they would both be sharing a space of only a few feet. They'd be right next to each other, all night. Maybe even touching. Willow felt her cheeks begin to burn. Matthew turned redder than Willow's hair and looked down at the floor.   
  
"I..well.." He coughed, glancing at her and then back at the floor. "Would you mind?" He asked shyly. Willow fidgeted with the shoelaces in her hands, her eyes glued to a piece of snow that sat slowly melting on the floor.   
  
"No..I-I mean..you'd get sick..no..I don't..mind, that is.." She said, stumbling over the words, wondering where her ability to speak coherently had gone. Matthew nodded, slightly.   
  
"Um..well..I mean..alright.." He replied, just as awkward. Cautiously, Willow slipped into the makeshift sleeping back, trying to relax as Matthew laid down next to her. Willow's breath caught in her throat as Matthew's arm slid along her own. She coughed slightly, and managed a petite smile at him.   
  
"Goodnight.." She said, squeaking slightly. He nodded, scrounging up a small smile to return hers.   
  
"Goodnight, Willow." With that, they both turned over onto opposite sides, their backs towards each other, and fell asleep.   
  
Willow had no dreams of Thomas and icy alleyways that night. Her sleep was peaceful, protected. By what she could not be sure, although in the back of her mind she knew it was Matthew. When she woke up this morning and found his arm slung over her stomach, him sleeping on his stomach like a baby, her thoughts were confirmed. She smiled slightly, and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth. Willow lay for a long time like that, in a drifting state between consciousness and sleep. She breathed deeply, inhaling his unique scent. It was a combination of expensive lotions and oils, the rich musk of the library, and another scent Willow couldn't quite place. When they mingled and formed his smell, they were intoxicating, almost like a drug. She could have laid there forever, and she planned to for a short while. Until Matthew woke up, at least.   
  
He stirred gently, and she didn't even notice at first. It wasn't until she heard a quiet stammer, and his arm move quickly from her stomach that Willow realized Matthew had woken up. She blushed, realizing the full extent of the situation they had been in and what its implications were, and wondered if she should even bother opening her eyes and facing him. After several long moments, Matthew had regained his composure enough that he was again blessed with the ability to form a coherent sentence.   
  
"A-are you awake, W-Willow?" He stuttered quietly. Taking a deep breath, Willow shook her head slightly, hoping the blush would disperse, and opened her eyes. Matthew was leaning over her, his hair falling along his forehead and into large blue eyes, creating slanted shadows upon his face. His lips were parted slightly with breath, and he was staring down at her. Willow couldn't but blush again, and she sat up to escape the scene.   
  
"Yeah..yeah..I'm up.." She said, running her hands through her hair in a futile attempt to look presentable. She heard Matthew shuffle behind her, and then smelt something very good. Turning around, she found him heating a plate of leftovers over a small pile of hot coals. Willow smiled and moved to sit next to him.   
  
"Are you always this prepared for freak snowstorms?" She asked him, grinning. Matthew laughed, his cheeks dusted with a blush.   
  
"Of course. What kind of crazy hermit scholar would I be if I wasn't?" He replied, moving some of the food around with a fork. Willow couldn't help but smile.   
  
"Not a very good one." She agreed, and continued to watch him make breakfast.   
  
It was only a few hours after they had eaten breakfast that the Royal Library doors were thrown open, and a small band of snow-covered shovelers appeared.   
  
"Willow!" Ariel squeaked, running up to her and throwing her arms around her cousin. "We were worried that the snowstorm had eaten you up and chopped you into little bitty pieces and that we'd have to scour the streets looking for your fingers and toes!" She exclaimed, hugging Willow tightly. Willow giggled and hugged her eccentric relative back.   
  
"No, me and Matthew made it back here in time. We just spent the night, it wasn't that bad." From behind, Willow could hear Ian and Anth snickering and making comments, no doubt about the situation Willow and Matthew had spent the last 14 hours in. Willow scowled and shook her finger at them.   
  
"You two shush and help us home, or I'll rat you out to Mel and Ariel!" Ariel grinned at Willow, and then turned to make a face at Anth.   
  
"Oh, making faces at me, are you?" He challenged.   
  
"Yes, and *you* can't do a thing about it!" Ariel retorted.   
  
"Oh, I can too!" Anthony replied. With that, he charged forward and scooped Ariel into his arms, tickling her mercilessly. Ariel shrieked and hit his hands, trying to get him to stop between giggling fits.   
  
"Anth!" She managed to grab his hands, and held them securely against her stomach. The two calmed down and smiled lovingly at each other. Ian cleared his throat.   
  
"As sexy and lovey dovey as this library may make everyone else feel, *I* want to go back to the palace." With that comment, Anth pecked Ariel's lips and released her. The group of five gathered up everything, and began to walk home. Looking around, Willow saw that at least three feet of snow had fallen, and the final depth of the snow drifts weighing against the Library doors was almost nine feet. If Tortall had looked magical before, it was indescribable now. A pristine blanket lay over the entire city, glistening on every rooftop and sleeping peacefully in front of each citizen's front door.   
  
"Hey, Will?" Ariel said after a long silence had enveloped the group on the walk back. Willow looked at Ariel.   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Why were you down in Lower Corus all day, anyway?" Willow grinned and shook her head.   
  
"It's a long story, Ari. But it's not important right now." Ariel shrugged, placated by the answer, and the band marched on.   
  
~*~   
  
The rest of the winter passed fairly uneventfully. Ariel continued to wake up and complain about practicing in the cold weather, and Willow continued to spend most of her time with Matthew, either pouring over books, searching for Numair's journal, or just enjoying each other's company. Willow had no doubts that she loved Matthew, but despite how many times Ariel insisted, she always replied that she loved him, but was not *in* love with him. It was impossible not to love him, though. Matthew was, by far, the closest and most loyal friend Willow had ever had. He understood her, and there was a deep trust that ran between them. Willow trusted Matthew more than she'd ever trusted anyone else, even her parents, even Ariel. She didn't know exactly what inside her had connected so profoundly with Matthew, but something obviously did to create the relationship she held with him.   
  
Spring came early to Tortall this year. By mid-March, the temperatures had soared into the mid 70s and seemed content to stay there. Willow had never really had a preference on weather types - as long as it wasn't too extreme, she was happy. Ariel, on the other hand, was acting like a child in a candy store. Every morning she woke up and bolted into Anth's room, attacking him with tickles and squeaks about how the sun was shining and the birds were singing and the snow was gone forever. Willow couldn't be sure, but underneath all the annoyed grunts and groans, she thought Anth enjoyed the rude awakening. It was painfully obviously that the two were madly in love. She couldn't figure out what was keeping Ariel from moving in with Anthony, other than the fact she only lived a door frame away at present.   
  
Willow had woken up early that morning, and was quietly going about getting dressed and concocting breakfast for herself, when there was a knock at Ariel's door. The small redhead in the bed groaned, and sat up, rubbing her eyes.   
  
"Do you want me to get it for you, Ari?" Willow asked, pulling on a shirt. Ariel made some sort of sound, and stumbled out of bed. Willow laughed and went to open the door, as Ariel searched blindly for her pants. As the door opened, Willow was confronted with a beautiful young woman whom she did not recognize. The woman had pale blonde hair that was very fine, and long, falling almost to her hips. Her skin was peaches and cream, her eyes sapphires. Her build was very slim, accentuating by the fitted summer dress she worn in pale yellow. She stood a few inches taller than Willow, at about 5'5". Willow smiled politely, feeling somewhat shadowed by the woman's appearance.   
  
"May I help you?" She asked as she heard Ariel come up behind her. Ariel gapsed.   
  
"Summer!" Ariel squeezed past Willow and hugged the woman. Willow blinked - Summer? Ariel knew this woman? Summer smiled brightly.   
  
"Hey, Ari. How is my darling baby sister?" Ariel grinned and lead Summer inside the room. Willow balked - they were *sisters*? They looked nothing like one another! Other than the small build. And the nose. And the smile. And the skin tone. Willow laughed quietly to herself, wondering how she had overlooked the details the first time. Despite their hair colour and a few other traits, they were quite obviously sisters. Willow's thoughts were confirmed when she heard Summer squeak. Willow smiled and closed the door, going over to sit down with the two girls. Summer had laid out a beautiful pale pink dress on the table, and Ariel was fingering the fabric, running her fingers over the embroidery.   
  
"Other than the fact it's pink, I love it, Summer." Ariel said, smiling. "It'll fit me, right?" Summer nodded.   
  
"It should. We only took your measurements a few months ago, and unless you've gained a lot of weight," she paused, pinching her younger sister's flat stomach, "You should be fine." Summer grinned as Ariel squirmed away from her sister's pinching hands.   
  
"I don't gain weight." She said indignantly, and Willow laughed. Summer looked over to her, smiling.   
  
"I don't think we've ever met, have we? I'm Summer Serenity, Ariel's sister." She offered her hand, which Willow shook. She was slightly taken aback - Summer's grip was strong and firm, something she wasn't expecting from the fragile-looking woman.   
  
"I'm Willow Serenity, your cousin." Willow said with a grin. Summer laughed, surprised.   
  
"I should have known! It's not often a girl looks so similar to Ariel without there being a familial connection." Willow grinned. She liked this girl.   
  
"So, what's the dress for?" Willow asked Summer, who beamed brightly.   
  
"My wedding. Ariel's going to be a bridesmaid."   
  
"Oh! Congratulations! Who are you getting married to?" Summer smiled.   
  
"His name is Tomas of Genlith. Technically, it's an arranged marriage, but I love him.." She said. Willow smiled. It was obvious in the way her voice changed slightly when she talked about her finacé that they truly were in love.   
  
"I wish you all the best." Willow told her sincerely. Ariel, who had been quiet and generally uninvolved through most of the conversation, suddenly perked up.   
"Are you gonna invite her to the wedding, Summer? I think you should." Ariel said, her voice full of authority. Summer laughed.   
  
"Of course she's invited, if she wants to come." Willow smiled broadly,   
  
"I'd love to come. I've never been to a wedding before.." She told Summer. Ariel gasped.   
  
"You've *never* been a wedding? That means I get to dress you up and play with your hair and put make-up on you again, just like the time you went to a ball!" Willow giggled, and threw up her hands in mock defeat.   
  
"Sure." She said, and the three continued their conversation of the wedding.   
  
The wedding day approached quickly. On April 4th, a palace servant paid by Ariel came in and woke Willow, Ariel and Anthony up early. The three bathed, and Ariel put on her bridesmaid's gown, having Willow tie up the corset for her. She giggled, looking down at her small chest, which the corset had pushed up and out so prominently.   
  
"This is so crazy, they're all poofy and poking out and *there*! They've never been that there before!" She told Willow, and then continued to fiddle with her hair. Finally deciding on a simply bun held in place with a jeweled clip, Ariel finished dolling herself up and went to work on Willow.   
  
Earlier in the week, Willow and Ariel had gone on a hunt through the markets of Corus, searching for the perfect outfit for the wedding. Despite Willow's protests, Ariel insisted it had to be light coloured, possibly even white. At the end of the day, they had both decided on a pale blue dress. It was made of an airy linen fabric, perfect for the summer-like temperatures. The sleeves were short and puffed out slightly, and the stiching was dark blue. Despite Willow's protests, Ariel had bought the style that included a corset, and was now forced to have her own petite breasts pushed out into the world. Willow sighed, as best as she could. Oh well, she thought, it's not a big deal. She sat relatively still as Ariel twisted her hair into loose curls that cascaded over her shoulders softly. A few well-placed silver pins pulled the curls back slightly, opening her face more. A light dusting of makeup finished the outfit, and Willow smiled brightly. She was always incredibly happy with the way Ariel made her look. As Ariel was fussing with a piece of her hair that refused to stay back in the bun, Anth came through the connecting door without knocking. He was wearing a high collared black shirt that closed with polished silver buttons, and fitted black slacks. He looked like he was ready for a funeral. Ariel smiled brightly when she saw him.   
  
"Why, if it isn't the Black God himself." She said, walking over to Anthony and hugging him tightly. Willow smiled, watching their lips touch briefly in a greeting. Willow couldn't be happier for Ariel. It was obvious that she and Anthony were meant to be together. Anthony grinned at the two small redheaded girls in the room, slipping his arm around the waist of the one who loved him with all her heart.   
  
"Are you girls ready to go? We can't have someone that's important as Ariel is being late." Ariel giggled, and Willow smiled, nodding.   
  
"Yeah, we're ready, Anth." He nodded, and the three left for the wedding.   
  
Sitting in the middle of Upper Corus was the largest chapel Willow had ever seen in her life. Done completely in regal grey stone, it towered well over the manors of the nobles and other buildings. It was one of the few building that existed in all of Corus that was not dwarfed by the palace. Willow had seen it many times, her boarding school sat just down the street, but it modern times it was delapitaded and ignored. Several of the steeples and statues that gleamed in the spring sun had since collapsed into the actual building. For a long time, the ruins had been a popular place for tours, until a freak accident had claimed the life of an entire tour group. Since then, although it remained a historical site, it had not been touched, and continued to self-destruct more and more each day. Despite its large size, the doors were what impressed Willow the most. They were several inches thick, done in a deep mahogany. Both sides had been intricatedly carved, displaying scenes of the many royal marriages and funerals that had occured inside. The othre side of the doors appeared to have been carved much more crudely, and there was no apparent pattern or scene within the marks. Once they passed through these doors, Ariel kissed Anthony once more, and disappeared down a side hallway to find Summer and the other bridesmaids. The two reamaining guests walked down the aisle and took a seat near the front, on the bride's side. There was silence between Willow and Anthony for several minutes, until curiousity got the better of her, and Willow spoke.   
  
"Anth, do you know why the inside of the doors look like that?" Anthony turned around in his seat, looking at the doors. His brows furrowed, looking like he was trying to remember the reason, and then something lit within his blue eyes.   
  
"Oh, of course! Those markings are magical - they keep this place protected, from all kinds of things." Anth explained. Willow nodded, intruiged.   
  
"What kinds of things, exactly?" She questioned. Anthony took another moment to think before formulating an answer.   
  
"I think war and war crimes, mostly. It's said that people who have committed crimes against the king and haven't been caught can't pass through the doors because of the spells, but I don't know if I believe it or not." He told her. Willow mulled this over, digesting it thoroughly for the next several minutes. What if it was true? She smirked slightly, imagining a car alarm type sound resonating through the building as someone tried to come into the chapel. Willow continued to think on that subject, as well as several other matters of no important, until the wedding commenced.   
  
The service, although long and sometimes mind-numbingly dull, was beautiful. Summer looked angelic in her gown, made of pure white silk and lace. A large, beaming smile was present on her, making her entire face glow with happiness. Her eyes gazed lovingly into Tomas', who looked quite dapper in black and white formal attire. After four hours, three different monks, eighteen chosen well-wishers, and several attempts at completing all the necessary rituals, Summer and Tomas were married. The newlyweds clasped each other's hands tightly and jogged out of the enourmous chapel, a cheering and whooping crowd following them, some throwing flower petals or grain. Tomas helped Summer into a white carriage and then climbed in, closing the door. The carriage driver looked around, watching, waiting for the rest of the guests to board their respective carriages. Several minutes later, the procession set off, heading for one of the many gardens of the palace.   
  
The palace in spring was a breathtaking sight. Over one hundred gardeners worked full days, aiding the perennial plants and trees, and planting thousands of annuals. The shrub mazes were carefully groomed, the fountains polished, the trees and other plants fed. Sets of garden tables and chairs were taken out from storage and meticulously cleaned before being placed strategically throughout the vast greenery.   
  
The area set aside for Summer's wedding reception was a small area nestled the mazes and the famous rose gardens. Hundreds of whitewashed steel tables and high-backed cushioned chairs had been set out on a large lawn. Planks of pine created the orchestra, leaving ample room for dancing. Under high, white tents sat over 20 chefs, all hired to prepare and serve the food for the reception, which ranged from roast duck to iced cream in three different flavours. Summer, Tomas, and all others involved in the wedding sat at a long pine table covered with a white linen table cloth. This table sat atop a small platform, perhaps five feet above the ground, allowing all that came to the reception to clearly see the blushing bride and proud groom.   
  
Willow was placed at one of the normal tables, although she was very close to the bridal party. She smiled as she read through the list of guests who would be joining her table. Anthony Corganne, Ian Corganne, Melusine Desjardins, Matthew Beaumont, and two people she didn't know, Valentine March and Marcus LaSalle. After many minutes of sitting by herself at the table, a young woman with dark hair and gentle hazel eyes sat down across from Willow. She was tall and lean, her sleeveless dress revealed well-toned arms. The woman turned, examining the set-up of the reception. As she did, her hair fell away from her neck slightly, revealing the beginning of a jagged scar. Willow was beginning to have serious doubts that this woman, despite her graceful air, was a noble lady. Willow was beginning to work up the courage to ask the woman, who she assumed was Valentine March, if she was a noble lady when Matthew came up quietly and sat down next to Willow with a smile.   
  
"Hey." He nudged her arm slightly, catching her attention. Blinking and looking away from the woman, Willow smiled brightly.   
  
"Hey, Matthew. What took you so long, the other tables are almost completely filled. Speaking of which..what's taking *everyone* so long?" She questioned him, rather pointedly. Matthew laughed softly, and Willow couldn't help but smile to herself. She was sure there wasn't a loud bone in Matthew's body. Even when he was completely comfortable around someone, he was quiet. It was just his nature, and Willow loved that about him.   
  
"Mel and Ian decided to stop at home, after they ended up taking off half of each other's clothes in the carriage. I guess they're just in one of those moods. Anthony was in the carriage with them, so he should be here soon. I came with Marcus and Valentine, and Marcus has been talking with Summer's parents since we got here." Matthew explained. Willow smirked. Ian and Melusine were like rabbits. Willow was surprised that Melusine had never been pregnant. She didn't know much about the use of contraception in the past, although she assumed it wasn't as effective as the contraception of the present day. Willow began to wonder about ancient methods of contraception and their place in the ethics of the average Tortallan, when Melusine, Ian and Anthony showed up at the table. Mel's hair, which had been in an intricate updo at the ceremony, was now down and cascading haphazardly around her face and upper body, and Willow noted with a small smirk that Ian's shirt was misbuttoned. Anthony was rolling his eyes, speaking quickly with Matthew and casting glances in Valentine's direction. Willow looked up to the bridal table and smiled at Ariel and Summer, her two supposedly cousins. They both smiled and waved back, obviously enjoying themselves immensely. Willow sighed slightly and rested her chin in her hand. Now she understood why her parents, on the occasion that she saw them and they had time to talk, complained about the weddings they had attended recently. Joyous occasion or not, it's no fun having no one to talk to. Willow thought to herself, glancing over at Matthew and Anthony. They seemed deep in conversation about one thing or another, Willow hadn't been paying particular attention. She was about to turn and try to strike up with the only other silent member of the table, Valentine March, when Matthew tapped her shoulder.   
  
"Willow?" Willow turned around, looking at Matthew. He had the slightly reserved, very nervous look on his face that always appeared when he was about to ask her something that he didn't know her response to. This look appeared quite often.   
  
"Yeah, Matthew?" She replied, idly wondering why she never called him Matt, as everyone else did.   
  
"Would you like to dance?" Willow's breath caught slightly in her throat, surprised. Matthew was the last person on earth she would expect had the ability to dance. Willow herself was a close second, in her own mind. She could see in Matthew's eyes that his mind was beginning to interpret her hesitation as unwilling-ness, and she opened her mouth to answer him.   
  
"Everyone else is.." He said hastily before she could answer. Willow laughed slightly, and smiled at him.   
  
"Sure, I'd like to dance." Matthew's face brightened considerably, worry lines dissapearing. They both stood, and he lead her to the dance floor with only a mild level of awkwardness apparent in his steps.   
  
They talked very little as they danced. Most of the songs being played were slow, and Willow found the closer she was to Matthew, the harder it was to her breathing rate normal, let alone hold a coherent conversation. She didn't understand why, but every time she looked up at him, into his large blue eyes, she felt as if she would faint. Emotions would wash over her with the force of tidal waves, and she was practically forced to move closer to Matthew to keep from falling. They danced through several songs, their palms sweating so much that by the end of the last song, they couldn't even hold their hands together without them sliding. As the song ended, Matthew and Willow laughed nervously, and walked back to their seats.   
  
The rest of the wedding went off without a hitch. The food and cake was delicious, Tomas and Summer were obviously quite enamoured with one another, and Matthew and Willow managed to push their awkward dancing experience into the back of their minds and discuss cake philosophy for the remainder of the reception. As usual, the two lost track of time, and ended up being some of the last guests to leave. Summer thanked them both quite graciously for coming, and arranged to have one of the lingering carriages take Matthew home. Willow accompanied him along for the ride, as she had never seen where he lived and she was quite curious. The thought never crossed her mind that the real reason she went with him in the carriage was because she didn't want to leave him, and go back to Ariel's cold bed alone. She was sleeping in Ariel's bed now because Ariel was sleeping in Anthony. Surprise, surprise.   
  
The carriage stopped in front of Twisting Vines Boarding Home, an apartment complex only two blocks from the Royal Library, and a popular place for University students and young scholars to live at. He pulled out a large, slightly rusty key, and tried to open the front door to the complex. Because it was privately owned and operated, people were not permitted to simply walk in from the street. Each tenant was given two keys - one to their specific apartment or suite, and another to the main door of the building. Matthew placed the key inside the lock and turned it. The locked clicked loudly, signaling that entrance was now permitted. Pushing on the door, however, Matthew found that it only opened a matter of inches before stopping. He growled slightly, something Willow had never heard him do before. She giggled a little, and looked at the lock, and then back to him.  
  
  
  
"Troubles with the door?" She questioned innocently. He scowled.   
  
"Yes. They didn't move the blanket that keeps the draft out - again."   
  
"Well, that's no good. Let me try to open it." Matthew stepped back, and Willow pushed on the doorknob. The door strained and opened another inch.   
  
"I think you have to jiggle it back and forth.." Matthew told her. Willow took his advice, and the door opening widened to six inches.   
  
"I think if I just push on it hard, it'll open.." She said, and pushed. And her hand soared through the glass paneling that made up the top half the door, making a terrific shattering sound in the process. In shock, Willow retracted her hand quickly, looking at it. Her right index finger was cut, a thick stream of blood pulsing from it. Surprisingly enough, the wound didn't hurt, but it certainly was messy. Matthew's eyes widened,   
  
"This isn't good.." He quickly took out his hankerchief, something Willow knew he had bought just for the wedding, and wrapped it around her finger.   
  
"It doesn't hurt.." Willow said absently, still somewhat in shock. Matthew banged on the door until a disgruntled person who had clearly been asleep came down and let them in.   
  
"Mithros, what was she trying to *do*?" The disgruntled sleeper asked as he saw the hankerchief around Willow's finger, which was quickly turning deep red.   
  
"She was trying to open the door, because someone left the draft blocker in place, *again*." Matthew said, sounding slightly annoyed. The third person glanced back once more at Willow. The hankerchief was now completely red, and tiny droplets of blood were beading on it's edges.   
  
"I'll go get a healer, Matthew." The third person said, and pulling their robe around themself tightly, went out into the warm night. It was several minutes before a healer arrived.   
  
"Are you okay, Willow? Does it hurt?" Matthew asked, obviously concerned. Willow smiled slightly and shook her head, feeling fuzzy and dazed.   
  
"No, it doesn't hurt.." She told him. "But my head feels fuzzy.." Matthew swallowed and tightened the hankerchief, causing several droplets of blood to fall onto her dress.   
  
"I'm sorry about your dress.. I'll buy you a new one.." He told her, watching the blood soak in and stain. Willow shook her head absently.   
  
"Don't worry about it, Matthew.." She told him, as the healer walked in the door. Matthew looked up, grateful that he had arrived. The disgruntled sleeper nodded to Matthew and went back upstairs to their room. The healer sat down in front of Willow, and carefully unwrapped the hankerchief from her finger.   
  
"She cut it on the glass. Her hand just went right through the door.." Matthew told the healer, who nodded and absorbed the information without a word. Willow blinked several times, trying to decide if she should exert the energy to keep her eyes open. She quickly decided to when she saw a deep blue substance floating out of the healer's hands and begin to circle around her injured finger. Ignoring the messages of pain the nerves in her finger were sending to her brain, Willow watched intently as the deep blue substance pulled the two sides of the laceration together, and a thin layer of skin fused them together. She continued to stare at her finger and the quickly dissapating blue until the healer spoke.   
  
"The laceration really wasn't that bad, so it's mostly healed right now. Keep it banaged for the next 2 or 3 days, and you'll be as good as new, save a small scar on your finger." Willow nodded,   
  
"Alright. Thank you." She reached into her purse to retrieve his payment, but Matthew was quicker. Placing a hefty tip along with the payment in the healer's hand, Matthew thanked him several more times as he showed him to the door. After the healer left, he came back and sat down next to Willow, who was cradling her injured hand in her lap.   
  
"You didn't have to do that, Matthew. I had money." She told him, smiling slightly at his kindness.   
  
"It was my building's door that you hurt your hand in, and you were trying to do something for me when it happened. I think I'm entitled to pay the man." He replied with a small grin. She laughed,   
  
"Even so, you didn't have to give him such a big tip. It took him all of five minutes to fix my finger." She reminded him, and Matthew shrugged, still grinning.   
  
"I wanted to make sure you had the best care.." He said with a blush, and stood up. "You need to go home." He said quickly. Willow nodded and stood as well.   
  
"Thank you again, Matthew. And today was fun." She said, deseperately searching her mind for a word less generic and meaningless than 'fun.' Finding nothing, she gave up and walked to the door with Matthew in silence.   
  
"I'll come by tomorrow to see how you're doing, Willow." Matthew told her, and before she could turn to leave, he brushed his lips tenderly against her cheek again. Willow smiled and blushed crimson.   
  
"Okay, Matthew. Bye.." She said softly, and walked over, looking over her shoulder at him several times during the short walk to the carriage. Once inside, she laid down, curling up on the seat. What was happening between her and Matthew? Thomas passed briefly through her thoughts, and then disappeared again into the vast blackness of Willow's subconcious. Whatever was brewing, whether it be romance or a deeper level of friendship, she liked it, Willow decided. She closed her eyes, and listened to the clicking of the horse's feet against the cobblestone. What a strange, wonderful place.


	5. Spring Has Sprung

Spring had sprung. Flowers were blossoming, birds were singing, and there were so many couples sucking face around the palace that Willow found herself constantly nauseous. Even Ariel and Mel had the fever. Willow had lost count the numbers of times she had knocked on Anthony's door, and on not receiving an answer, walked in to find Ariel and Anthony in bed together, and certainly not just sleeping. She was surprised she wasn't scarred for life. The only person who seemed to be mildly reasonable was Matthew, and so Willow found herself spending practically every minute of every day with him. They had even begun to sleep over at each other's places on occasion. Willow loved Matthew's small apartment - it was cluttered with stacks of books and papers, empty teacups and half-eaten pieces of buttered bread. Despite a slight stench that radiated from the kitchen, it was one of the most wonderful places Willow had ever been, and she was always loathe to leave when it became late, or she had run out of clean clothes, and he had run out of soap. She felt more comfortable lounging on his couch reading Bazhir philosophy while he attempted to fix an edible dinner than she did anywhere else in Corus.   
  
Staying at Matthew's also offered a refuge from the spring fever that was spreading rapidly through the palace. Willow and Matthew seemed to be the only two who hadn't been struck by it, although now whenever they went out people seemed to be asking how long they had been dating, and once even if they were engaged. The situations were always uncomfortable for Willow, because she knew she felt something for Matthew, and she was almost positive that Matthew felt something for her. But they would never do anything about it - Willow wouldn't let that happen. She refused to mess up the best friendship she'd ever had.   
  
It was an average spring day, and Willow had spent the last 3 nights at Matthew's, sleeping soundly on his couch. It was now the late morning, and Willow was indulging in a decidedly girly activity - sunbathing. She had been laying out on there dozing for several hours when in the back of her mind she thought she heard someone knock on Matthew's door. She shifted slightly, ignoring the sound. It must have been Matthew knocking over a book. However, moments later her peace was shattered.   
  
Ariel shoved Willow. Not hard, just enough to make her chair teeter. Willow yelped and stood up quickly.   
  
"Ariel!" She exclaimed. The redhead giggled mischievously, making Willow wonder if she really *was* a little nymph sent from the other realm.   
  
"Willow!" Ariel replied, mocking her. Willow shot her a cynical look and rolled her shirt back down over her flat, slightly tanned stomach.   
  
"What do you want, Ari?" Willow asked, giving in.   
  
"Come with me to Lower Corus." Ariel demanded.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Because Anthony's an outhouse and won't." Willow blinked, ignoring the comparison, and slipped her feet into a pair of worn leather sandals.   
  
"Yeah, sure." Willow replied, and Ariel linked their arms, practically dragging the girl away. Willow gave a strangled laugh, waving to a bewildered Matthew as she was taken from the apartment.   
  
Ariel and Willow walked the 30 minutes down to a little cornershop in Lower Corus. Ariel let them both in, and Willow found herself in a very strange store. It was composed of two rooms, and the back one had a pad on a frame in it and nothing else, looking like someone must sleep there. A relatively young man, probably in his late twenties or early thirties, sat on a stool in the first room, reading a thick volume. Ariel cleared her throat, shifting her weight from her toes to her heels, and waited for the man to acknowledge them. After several moments, a pointed nose and owlish eyes appeared from behind the book, and blinked at them.   
  
"Hi." Ariel said. The man closed the book, tossing it to the ground.   
  
"Hello." The man replied, using a long finger to push his spectacles back up on his nose.   
  
"I'd like my belly button done. It's 40, right?" Ariel said. Willow arched an eyebrow - what on earth was this crazy child going to have done to her belly button? She wondered. The man nodded, tucking his neatly combed hair behind his ears and pushing up his glasses once again. Standing up, he walked over to a dusty cabinet on the other side of the room, and Willow watched him pull out a metal tray and a small basin.   
  
"Come to the back, please." Ariel smiled brightly at Willow and skipped off to the back room with the man, who shut the door as soon as she was inside. Willow stared at the door, horribly confused. What in gods' name was going on behind that door? What was in that metal tray? And what did Ariel want done to her body, exactly? All of Willow's questions were answered a few short minutes later. Ariel and the man reappeared from behind the door. Ariel's face was glowing, and her hands were fidgeting with the hem of her royal purple shirt. Although Ariel was constantly moving, she rarely fidgeting, and Willow was curious as to what had been done to her navel to make her do so. Ariel plopped down the payment in the man's large, surprisingly smooth hands, and grinned contentedly at Willow.   
  
"Okay, let's go home now." Willow smirked, cocking an eyebrow.   
  
"You drag me down here and I don't even get to see what you did to your poor defenseless navel?" She questioned her cousin. Ariel giggled and lifted her shirt up a few inches, displaying her belly button to Willow. The surrounding skin was red, looking somewhat traumatized. Hanging from the small flap of skin above her navel was a silver ring, shut tight by a small purple bead. Willow blinked - they had body piecing in ancient times too? I suppose it makes sense.. She thought to herself, remembering the many lessons she'd sat through about the ritualistic piercing that occurred in many of the nomadic tribes that used to exist in the Eastern Lands. Some cultures, no matter when they existed, would always take rituals that had true meaning and turn them into a pop culture fad, and Willow realized that Tortall, whether it was ancient or modern, was no exception. She grinned, watching Ariel stare at her belly button, beaming.   
  
"You should get yours done, Willow!" Ariel exclaimed, looking at her. Willow laughed and shook her head. Getting her ears done had been bad enough! She refused to lay down on that itchy looking pad while someone shoved a needle through her navel. It had never done anything to her, she saw no reason to punish it. She lead her cousin out of the store.   
  
"No way, Ariel. My navel's happy being free of puncture wounds and steel." Willow said as they began to walk back to Upper Corus, Ariel limping every few steps, still adjusting to the new body ornament.   
  
"I bet Maaaaaathew'd like it.." Ariel giggled, teasing Willow. Willow rolled her eyes at her cousin.   
  
"Maaaaathew doesn't see anything even remotely interesting in my belly button, I doubt he'd care if I got it pierced or not. And besides, he's never even seen it." Ariel scoffed.   
  
"Yeah, right! You sleep over at his house all the time! I know what happens when teenagers sleep over!" She replied. Willow laughed slightly.   
  
"I sleep on the couch, Ari. Besides, you and Anth were keeping me up all night!" Ariel gave Willow an innocent look.   
  
"Whatever are you talking about, dearest cousin?" She quipped, batting her eyelashes. Willow couldn't help but giggle as she answered.   
  
"I'm talking about the grunting and the moaning and the fact the walls shake!" She exclaimed. "It kept me up all night and I thought I was going to go crazy! So now I sleep here, where there is silence, and peace, and sturdy walls." She said in a mockingly stern voice. Ariel feigned a yawn.   
  
"How boring. I'll take my shaking walls over sleeping on his ratty-tatty couch any day, thank you very much." She replied. After a moment, Ariel looked back over. "But.. you do like him, don't you, Will?" Willow groaned inwardly: the dreaded question. Taking in a slow breath, she collected her thoughts, mapping out her sentences carefully. The last thing Willow wanted to do was send the wrong impression about a topic as sensitive as her friendship and feelings towards Matthew. Willow knew very well that gossip and rumours spread like wildfire, and Ariel was no stranger to starting them. Even in good fun, it could be damaging to someone as sensitive and, at times, gullible as Matthew was.   
  
"Well," Willow began. She didn't get another word out before Ariel squeaked, hopping up and down like a bunny rabbit.   
  
"I knew you liked him!" Ariel squeaked.   
  
"Hey!" Willow protested. "You didn't even give me a chance to explain!" Ariel scoffed.   
  
"It was obvious what you were going to say, Willow! You like him, there's no denying it. So say it already!" Willow was beginning to feel cross.   
  
"I would," she snapped. "If you'd just give me a chance!" The moment the words flew from her mouth she regretted them. Ariel's lips formed into that dreaded shape, the shape that was used by the mouth muscles to make one sound, and one sound only.   
  
"Awwww.." She said, sounding as if she was looking at a newborn puppy. Willow wished she had a dagger on her.   
  
"Oh, shut it, Ariel." Willow said, scowling deeply. Ariel, sensing that her cousin was no longer joking around with her, quieted. She put her hand on Willow's forearm gently.   
  
"Calm down, Will. I just wanted to know." Willow rolled her eyes, still unhappy.   
  
"Yeah. And then by tomorrow, the entire country will know. Including Matthew." She sighed, running a hand through her blood red hair.   
  
"I won't say anything if you don't want me to.." Ariel offered quietly. Willow looked over at her. She seems sincere, Willow thought to herself. And I've always trusted her with everything in the past, and nothing horrible has ever happened. Willow managed a small smile.   
  
"Yeah. Thanks." She told Ariel. After a few moments, she added, "It's not as if I'm going to do anything about it. He's one of the closest friends I've ever had. I refuse to mess that bond up by bringing in a dimension that neither of us seem really ready for." She saw Ariel's nose twitch, meaning she had something to say about that. Willow noticed that Ariel's nose twitched a lot. She, however, stayed silent. As they moved from the dirt and hay roads of Lower Corus to the cobble stone ones of Upper Corus, Ariel took another peak at her belly button, grinning.   
  
"Anth's gonna love this." She commented.   
  
"Why's Anth going to love it?" Willow questioned, genuinely curious. Ariel giggled madly, blushing slightly.   
  
"Well..it's like this. He's got this thing, when we're in bed together. He thinks my stomach is the neatest thing ever. So he kisses it a lot and stuff. And I know once he sees this, he'll want to incorporate it, somehow." Ariel explained. Willow's eyes widened slightly, realizing what Ariel had meant when she said that Anth was going to love it.   
  
"Oh!" She exclaimed, turning slightly pink herself. Ariel giggled.   
  
"Yeah. Y'know, it's all the sexy stuff that a little innocent girl like yourself wouldn't know about." Ariel explained, making perfect sense in her own little Ariel way. Willow laughed gently.   
  
"Yeah, all that sexy stuff. Nooo thank you!" She replied. The two girls, once again bubbly and happy, turned onto the small sideroad that lead to the boarding house where Matthew lived. Willow smiled as she studied the outside of the Royal Library, which was easily visible from where it stood, only a few blocks away. The place was so beautiful, it was easily her favourite place in the entire city, no matter what time she was living in. Ariel and Willow darted up the three flights of stairs to Matthew's floor, and Willow pulled out the extra key that Matthew had given her a few weeks earlier. Letting them in, she found a scrawled note from Matthew sitting on top of a sandwich he had made himself yesterday and never gotten around to eating. It was now sitting on top of a volume of Tyran mythology, slowly gaining mold and a slightly unpleasant stench.   
  
"For such a smart person, he lives horribly." Ariel commented, picking up the note cautiously. She read it aloud. "Will. Burke. Four-forty-two. Ten." Ariel blinked pointedly at the note and looked up at Willow. "You have your own language?" Willow laughed, plucking the note from Ariel's hands.   
  
"No, we don't have our own language. Will - short for my name, of course. Burke is the philosopher he's been studying for the past few months, so that's why he's gone - he's found something out about him and needs to verify it, or something along those lines. If I'm interested in knowing what he does - which I'm most certainly am, by the by - I should look in Volume IV, page forty two. And he'll be home around ten, if I'm lucky." Willow explained the note to Ariel, and then dropped it back on top of the sandwich, heading into the kitchen area to raid the icebox. Ariel stood there the entire time Willow made herself a plate of leftovers, gaping at her cousin. Ariel would have probably continued to stand there staring if Willow had not put cold chicken on the plate, which just happened to be Ariel's favourite food. Squeaking and giving a little hop, Ariel bounced into the kitchen.   
  
"Ooh, can I have a piece, Willy-Nilly?" Ariel cooed, making doe eyes at her cousin. Willow giggled and shoved the plate over towards Ariel, offering up the chicken. With another squeak and a quick shaking of her fingers, Ariel dug it, slurping up the thin strips of chicken quickly. "I don't believe you knew what that note said!" Ariel exclaimed after swallowing a surprisingly large amount of chicken. Willow laughed, taking a seat on the counter and beginning to eat as well.   
  
"I've gotten used to his notes, they really aren't that hard to read anymore." Willow explained. Ariel rolled her eyes, grinning as she stole a grape.   
  
"Whatever you say, Will. With communication with that, it's gotta be love." Willow made a face at her cousin. Ariel giggled. "Shush. It's my job as family to tease the living lights out of you." Willow giggled, knowing she couldn't argue with that. The two stopped the conversation, allowing themselves proper time to eat the food Willow had prepared.   
  
After several more silly conversations and almost an entire chicken, Ariel bid Willow goodnight and bounced home to show Anthony her latest addition to her body. Willow, feeling slightly nauseous, made her way around the apartment, collecting the old and sometimes decaying food in a large parcel bag. After she finished, she closed the bulging back off with a piece of string, and tossed it out the window in a large dumpster set up to collect unwanted remnants. Wading knee-deep into Matthew's work area, Willow managed to recover the fourth volume of Burke he had mentioned in his note, and curled up on the couch, reading intently from page forty-two on. Willow sat reading for a long time, finally checking her watch at page one hundred and eighteen. The dull silver watch showed the time to be 11:37, and Matthew was still gone. Yawning, Willow marked her page and closed the book, carefully balancing it on top of a wobbling stack of papers and ancient tomes. Stripping down, she pulled on a heavily worn pair of breeches and an oversized shirt, the two most comfortable articles of clothing she owned. Running her hand through her hair as a substitute to a proper brushing, Willow curled up on the couch, pulling a thin blanket over her, and fell asleep quickly.   
  
~*~   
  
Willow was under the impression that the month of June was going to pass peacefully. Of course, her dreams were shattered by the first week, when she learned that Ariel and Mel both had final exams. Willow watched with vague interest as Ariel shot arrow after arrow into a bullseye in the practice yard. She had been out here for the past two hours watching, and since then Ariel had managed to split at least 40 arrows in half. The girl's talent and training in the area was obvious in every move she made with the bow, the way her muscles tensed and relaxed, the way she loaded her arrows. After Ariel split her forty-first arrow, Willow hopped down from her seat on the fence.   
  
"How long have you been training with a bow?" Willow questioned, watching as Ariel twirled an arrow through her fingers idly. Ariel laughed slightly.   
  
"Oh, practically forever. Ever since I've been tall enough to hold a bow." Willow whistled, low and long. Now that was impressive.   
  
"Is Anth really good at archery, too?" Willow said. She figured it would make sense - why would Ariel want to be squire to someone who wouldn't be able to further her talent? Other than the fact they were head over heels for each other, of course. Ariel giggled madly.   
  
"Anth? Good at archery? He'd sooner eat cow dung than hit the bullseye twice in a row." Ariel explained with a smirk, haphazardly loading her bow and firing it off. Willow's mouth opened slightly as she watched it imbed deeply in the innermost ring of the target. She hadn't even been looking! Ariel grinned, stretching her arms and legs.   
  
"Like I said, I've been training forever." Ariel told her. Willow closed her mouth, grinning.   
  
"I'm going to go watch Mel fence for awhile, okay?" Willow told her cousin. Ariel nodded,   
  
"Alright. I'll be out here for awhile, and then I have to practice fencing too," she said with a sigh. "Fencing can bite my bum, stupid skill," Willow heard Ariel mutter as she walked over to where Mel was involved in a rather intense match with a large opponent, obviously a man. At first Willow thought it was Ian, but as she neared the perrying pair, it became obvious that it wasn't. Although this man had the same lean but muscular build as Ian, his movements were far more graceful. The two seemed as if they were dancing, not dueling. Mel thrust forward, her wrist flicking up violently, and the man countered, flicking his own wrist downwards, forcing the point of her sabre towards the ground. Willow thought the man had Mel in a tough spot - her entire midsection was open, even Willow's untrained eye could see that. Willow waited for the man to thrust forward and disarm Mel, thus winning the match. The man lunged, his own sabre right on target. As the majority of his weight switched from his right foot to his left, Mel pulled her arms and sword close against her body and spun herself away from the attack. The man stumbled forward, trying to regain his stance. Mel's sabre flicked out from it's hiding place behind her arms at the man's hand, prepared to disarm him. The man had regained his balance, for the most part, and managed a weak counter. Not sparing a moment, Willow watched as Mel tossed her sword from her left hand to her right, and with an intricate twist with her right wrist, the man's sword dropped to the ground, creating a small cloud of dust as it hit the dry soil. Mel grinned, running a hand over her forehead and through her hair. The few pieces of hair that had fallen loose from their tight bun were coated by the large beads of sweat sitting on Mel's forehead. The sweat wet them and held them away from her face when they were pushed back. Grinning, Mel sheathed her own sabre and with a slide and flick of her foot, sent the man's sword up into the air. She grabbed it by the hilt, and handed it back to him. The man laughed, tossing his own shaggy, sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes and accepted the weapon.   
  
"Nice match," Mel said, sounding only slightly out of breath. The man nodded, shaking her hand.   
  
"You too," he replied. "Tomorrow, same time?" Mel laughed, nodding her head,   
  
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, Benny." The man, who apparently answered to Benny, nodded and grabbed a satchel hanging on one of the fence posts. Slinging it over his shoulder, Willow watched the man walk away, grace apparent in each step. His shaggy ash brown hair waved slightly in the wind that his quick pace created. Willow looked over, noticing Mel was watching her.   
  
"That's Benny." Mel said, as if that would explain everything to Willow. Willow blinked at Mel. "He's a court regular, a fencing tutor of sorts," Mel continued. Willow nodded, understanding only slightly more.   
  
"You're not being helped by him, are you?" She questioned innocently. Mel's reply was a long, loud laugh that made Willow's cheeks burn profusely and turn bright red. Recovering slightly, Mel giggled,   
  
"Goddess, no! We're friends, and we spar together every day. I'm much more skilled than he is, though." She said, a giggle still escaping occasionally.   
  
"Oh! Well, that makes much more sense!" Willow exclaimed, laughing a bit herself. Mel grinned and picked her up her things, shrugging a pack onto her shoulder.   
  
"Aribelle should be down here any moment. I have to go up and work on my archery, the wretched sport that it is," Mel said, and began the trek to the other side of the training grounds, which were as long as almost twenty football fields and nearly as wide.   
  
Willow spent the rest of her day walking back and forth with Mel and Ariel, watching as they practice hour upon hour, making sure they would display their best effort in every area that they would be graded on. After a full 12 hours of practice, with the edges of the sky beginning to fade from blue to orange, it looked to Willow that the two girls were finally packing it in for the night. At least, that's what it seemed like at first. After a brief stretch and rest, Willow watched as Ariel took up what appeared to be a mutant form of a foil. Seeing Willow's confusion, Ariel grinned down at her weapon.   
  
"I know, it's strange. The knight program stopped teaching with tradition foils a long time ago, because they don't mimic what a real sword would be like. So now we have these if we choose foil," she explained, waving her sword gently in the air. It looked like a strange combination of all three swords. The guard was on the large side, like that of an epée. The blade, however, was slightly more pliable - although not nearly as much as that of a foil - and slight thicker, a lean version of a sabre. A well-sharpened steel point glinted at the end, showing that if Ariel got the better of her opponent, they would most certainly know it. Willow watched with great interest as Mel practiced a few one sided thrusts and perries, while Ariel carefully bent her sword back and forth, bowing it for a few moments and then releasing it, watching with satisfaction as it snapped back, wobbling slightly from side to side.   
  
"Keeping it pliable helps me use it, because it pulls more on my archery techniques," Ariel told Willow, before going down into a quad stretch. A few moments later, the girls appeared ready. They each took their stances, and with a slight nod of Mel's head, they began. They circled each other slowly, Mel faking a move a few times. Each time, Ariel began to move to a counter, leaving crucial areas of her torso open. It was obvious she wasn't a born fencer. Finally, after several minutes, the real attacks started. Anxious, Ariel moved to the offensive, thrusting forward several times. Willow watched as Mel countered easily, a look of what seemed to be annoyance on her face. Willow saw the source of her annoyance moments later, when she tried to force Ariel's point the ground. Ariel's sword bowed under the weight, but her hand never moved. Mel growled and finally stepped back, going back on the defensive. They moved back and forth, and Willow noted that although Ariel was on the offensive, she was giving up more ground than Mel. Finally, Mel saw her opening, and in a split second her sabre was in her left hand and pushing Ariel back quickly, and then back in her right hand, and then in her left again. Each time she performed some complicated move, although when Mel did it, it looked like a walk in the park. Mel spun and landed in Ariel's blind spot. Before Ariel could even finish raising her sword to counter, it was on the ground. Ariel grinned, picking up her sword with her foot, as Mel had done to Benny's earlier. The two shook hands.   
  
"Nice job, Aribelle. You're getting better," Mel commented. Ariel grinned wickedly.   
  
"Yeah yeah, whatever Mel. But, c'mon, let's go to my turf now," she replied, putting her sword away. Mel laughed and the two headed over to where a clean target was set up for arching. Ariel stretched her arms briefly and then rubbed something similar to wax on her hands and her bowstring, and Mel did the same. Ariel looked over at Mel, grinning like a madwoman.   
  
"Ladies first, Melly," she told her friend. Mel rolled her eyes and then took her stance, studying the target for several moments before loosing her arrow. It flew straight, hitting the line separating the innermost circle and the middle one.   
  
"Not bad," Ariel commented, and loosed her own arrow. It imbedded dead center in the bullseye.   
  
"I hate you, Aribelle," Mel replied as she loosed her second arrow. It wobbled slightly on it's trip, landing in the center of the middle ring. Ariel grinned ruthlessly and shot again. Her second arrow landing in the bullseye, splitting her first one down the center. Ariel opened her mouth to remark on her talent, but Mel cut in.   
  
"Oh, don't even start. I know I suck." She loosed her third arrow, grinning happily as it imbedded firmly in the center of the inner circle.   
  
"You don't suck, Mel," Ariel paused, letting her third arrow fly. It split the second one. "You're just not perfect, like me." Before Mel could even let off her fourth arrow, Ariel had reloaded and taken the opportunity to split the arrow Mel had shot into the middle circle. She reloaded again as Mel scowled, fumbling with her bow. Ariel giggled,   
  
"Never give up the sword, Mel." Ariel suggested. Mel hissed, although Willow knew it was all in good fun, and that there were no true hard feelings between the girls. What Ariel said next, though, was enough to cause Willow to lose her balance and fall off the fence.   
  
"Willow should shoot for you." Thud.   
  
After standing up, Willow emitted several high pitched sounds that a person could have interpreted as either a weasel call or a rather angry finch screaming at its nesting children. Ariel smirked slightly, while Mel stood dumbfounded. Finally, Willow found her voice, although it was much high than normal.   
  
"I don't shoot things!" She squeaked out. Ariel drug the protesting girl over to where Mel stood, giggling. Taking Mel's bow from her, she loaded it and place it in Willow's hands.   
  
"Shoot."   
  
"What?!"   
  
"Shoot it!"   
  
"No!"   
  
"Now!" The arrow whizzed from the bow, landing on the outermost ring. Willow blinked, looking dumbly down at the empty bow in her hands. She had just shot that? And done it right? She had done something athletic right? It was practically enough to make the poor girl faint. Ariel was clapping, jumping up and down.   
  
"See, I told you that you could do it!" She exclaimed, beaming. Mel laughed at Ariel, smiling warmly at Willow.   
  
"Nice job, Will," she told her. Willow nodded, grinning, and handed Mel's bow back over to her. Ariel and Mel finished their practice competition, Ariel winning of course, and the three trekked back to the palace for a late dinner.   
  
~*~   
  
The end of June brought a second surprise into Willow's life. She had been sleeping in for once when there was a gentle knock on the door. Groaning, she rolled onto her back.  
  
  
  
"Ari?" Willow croaked, hoping her cousin would get the door. Ariel didn't respond, and there was no sound from Anthony's room indicating the girl had even heard her. Sighing, Willow rolled out of bed, shoving her hair out her face. Rubbing her eyes with one hand, Willow opened the door to find Summer, beaming bright as the sun, standing there.   
  
"Willow!" Summer exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Willow blinked, surprised. What had her so happy?   
  
"Um, come in.." Willow replied, stepping aside to let the girl in. Summer bounced in.   
  
"Where's Ariel?" She asked, looking around the room excitedly. Willow laughed,   
  
"She's probably still asleep. Lemme go wake her up," She replied, and let herself through the door that connected Ariel and Anthony's room to Willow's. Sure enough, Ariel was sleeping soundly, curled up close to Anthony, who was snoring lightly. Willow walked over and poked Ariel in the shoulder. Ariel groaned, batting gently at Willow's hands like a kitten. Giggling, Willow poked her again. Ariel opened one eye, looking cross.   
  
"Leave." Ariel growled, sounding even more like a kitten than before.   
  
"I can't! Summer wants to see you. She's in my room." Willow said, watching as Ariel carefully extracted herself from Anthony's arms and slipped his shirt over her head - she had been wearing nothing moments earlier. Ariel and Willow padded back into the other room, where Summer was still bouncing around the room with excitement. The moment she saw her sister, Summer enveloped her in a gigantic hug, similar to the one she had given Willow minutes before. Ariel squeaked,   
  
"Summer! What happened?" She asked, struggling slightly in the tight grip. Summer grinned broadly, her entire face was glowing. There was something different about the way she carried herself, but Willow couldn't put her finger on it.   
  
"Ariel, Willow, you're never going to believe what good news I have!" Ariel giggled, sitting down on the bed.   
  
"Well, we certainly aren't if you're not going to tell us!" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down slightly on the bed, kicking her heels against the frame. Summer bounced,   
  
"I'm pregnant!" She exclaimed. Willow gasped - that was it! She had a maternal glow around her, that was what was different! Willow and Ariel bombarded the girl with hugs.   
  
"Congratulations!" Willow said.   
  
"That's so cute!" Ariel told her sister. Summer grinned and giggled, hugging the two girls back.   
  
"I just found out yesterday afternoon," she explained. "I had missed my cycle this month, and I went to the healers. They did whatever it is they do, and told me I was pregnant! Probably almost a full month and a half." Summer smiled gently down at her abdomen, running her hand over it carefully. "I can't wait.." She said softly. Ariel smiled brightly,   
  
"You're going to let us help pick out names, right? Have you written Mama and Papa? You told Tomas, right?" Ariel attacked the poor girl with questions, poking her in the side, demanding an answer. Summer laughed,   
  
"Ariel, lay off the sweets! Yes, I'm going to have you help me pick out names, yes I've written Mama and Papa, and of course I told Tomas!" Summer exclaimed. Willow smiled, watching the two girls. She was glad to be included in a family like this one.   
  
The three girls continued to talk, briefly discussing married life and babies names and anything else they could think of. Finally, Summer left, saying she had to meet Tomas at the training grounds. Ariel downed a sleeping elixir and crawled back into bed with Anthony, who was still sound asleep. Willow decided to go over to Matthew's apartment. She remembered him mentioned a few weeks ago that his Uncle Frederick and Aunt Aliciane were going to be in Corus - they lived in the Yamani Isles - and Willow had wanted to meet them. Showering and dressing, she walked the short trip over to his boarding home.   
  
As she neared the hallway that lead to Matthew's suite, Willow heard faint screaming. As she walked closer to his room, it got louder. Listening, Willow realized the screaming was coming from Matthew's suite. It wasn't really screaming, though, for it wasn't a woman. Rather, a man with a deep, booming voice was bellowing. He sounded frightening, and Willow debated whether or not she should come back at another time. Curiosity killed the cat, Willow reminded herself. However, she found her hand on his doorknob, unlocking the lock as quietly as she could. Poking her head in, she found a very interesting scene before her.   
  
His apartment was spotless - all his manuscripts and books were neatly put away in the several giant bookcases that lined the walls of the main room. His trash had been collected and bagged, presumably thrown out into the dumpster. His flatware and dishes had been washed and dried, and now sat sparkling behind the glass doors of a cabinet Willow had never noticed before. The entire place had been dusted and washed down. The oak gleamed richly with cleanliness. The culprit of this mass cleaning appeared to be a young, pale woman. She drifted through the rooms, her silver-blonde hair wafted behind her in the slight breeze her movement made. Pale hands ran over the objects in each room, making sure everything was in place. For a moment, she turned, and Willow was amazed by the colour of her eyes. They were silvery, almost the colour of the moonlight, and entrancing. They had a sad, longing look in them, as if she was a prisoner desperately wanting to escape, but with no knowledge how to. That must be Aliciane, Willow thought to herself after a moment. She looks so young..   
  
Changing her focus, Willow looked over to what she assumed to be Matthew's Uncle Frederick. He couldn't have looked more different from Aliciane. First of all, he was huge: barrel-chested and well over six feet tall. A proud shock of thick chestnut hair crowned his face, and a closely cropped beard and mustache of the same colour framed his lips and chin. Auburn eyes blazed under dark bushy eyebrows. His enormous figure was swathed in obviously rich clothing: his hands displayed several silver and gold rings in large, knotty patterns, and a gold chain hung around his neck. He was standing with his legs spread apart, bellowing so loudly that his face was beginning to turn red. The muscles in his neck were taught, and Willow could see each one flex and twitch individually.   
  
Looking down at the couch, where Frederick's eyes were focused, Willow found Matthew. He was slouched over, looking down, his head in his hands. Against his wraith-like aunt and bullish uncle, he looked horribly out of place. Willow looked between Matthew and Frederick, listening to the words he was bellowing for the first time.   
  
"...a complete weakling! You spend day after day after day doing what, Matthew? Reading! For Mithros' sake, that's not a career! You're a disgrace to the entire family! What's gotten into your screwed up little mind? You're twenty-two years old, you should be looking for a wife, a home, a place in the world! Not the meaning of life!" Frederick screamed at Matthew. Willow felt her heart ache - why did Matthew have to be the scapegoat of the family? He didn't deserve this. Willow watched intently as Matthew raised his face from his hands to respond to his uncle. Frederick's arm, its thick muscles pulling the material of his sleeve taut, raised threateningly above his head. Goddess, no, Willow thought. Don't let him hit Matthew, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.   
  
The hand came down at an alarmingly speed, connecting squarely his Matthew's cheek. The stinging sound of flesh on flesh resonated through the air, followed by a thud as the force of the blow threw Matthew to the ground. Willow choked back a cry, and the overwhelming urge to run in there and help him. Frederick turned, his eyes darting along the walls.   
  
"Aliciane!" He bellowed. Aliciane skittered into the room, allowing her husband to place the large arm around her shoulders. Willow saw them walking towards the door, and pressed herself up against the wall, praying they wouldn't notice. Luckily, the two walked right past her, not even noticing that the door had been ajar. Willow wondered momentarily if, with a neck as thick as Frederick's, he could move his head from side to side, or if the girth damned him with terminal tunnel vision.   
  
Walking in quietly, she found Matthew lying on his back, still on the floor. She knelt down next to him, not saying anything. His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fall gently, almost as if he were a sleep. The muscles on his face twitched occasionally, still reacting to the blow. The entire left side of his face was steadily growing a malted blue-black colour, speckled with areas of scarlet. Willow touched his unharmed cheek gently, brushing her fingertips across it. Matthew flinched, still not opening his eyes.   
  
"Aunt Aliciane?" He asked quietly, almost timidly. He sounded like a child. Willow took a more permanent seat on the floor.   
  
"No," she replied softly, her tone soothing. "It's me, Matthew." She watched the corners of Matthew's mouth twitch slightly, debating whether or not he should smile. Finally, he opened his eyes, looking up at her.   
  
"Willow.." He began, and winced. Willow stood up, offering her hands to him. He took them gratefully, and with her help, stood up.   
  
"Sit down," she told him sternly. He obliged, collapsing back against his couch. Willow sat down next to him, studying his face with worry.   
  
"How long have you been here?" Matthew asked, looking at her. Willow looked away - she couldn't bear seeing what Frederick had done to his face.   
  
"I came because you mentioned your aunt and uncle were here, and I had wanted to meet them. When I walked in, Frederick was screaming about how you were a disgrace and needed a face, and then he slapped you." She explained, glancing up at him several times but always looking back down. She heard him sigh deeply.   
  
"I hate him. Father sends him to see me anyway, he thinks it's good for me." Willow scowled,   
  
"Why don't you tell your father what he does to you? He wouldn't still send him then, would he?" Matthew shrugged slightly,   
  
"I don't know if he would or not." He didn't seem to want to answer her question any further than that. After several moments of silence, Matthew sighed again. "Maybe he's right." He said, his voice emotionless. Willow blinked,   
  
"What?"   
  
"Maybe he's right," Matthew repeated. "Maybe I shouldn't be running around looking for some kind of enlightenment through all these books. Maybe I should put on a nice shirt and start going to the balls, clean myself up, find myself a wife. Maybe I should settle down, and stop being the black sheep of the Naxen brood." Willow hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. Instead, she carefully rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist in an awkward hug.   
  
"You know you wouldn't be happy like that. You're happy as the black sheep. You have friends as the black sheep. Come on now, black sheep pride." She told him, surprisingly serious. Matthew laughed and winced as his assaulted muscles protested, looking down at her.   
  
"I think you've been hanging around Ariel too much." He told her, still smiling best as he could. Willow giggled,   
  
"I think I have too," she replied. Looking up at him, she flinched slightly. His left eye was almost completely closed by the swelling, now. "Is there anything you can do to help that?" She questioned, reaching out to touch the left side of his face and then stopping herself. Matthew nodded,   
  
"Oh, of course. I'll put some bruise balm on it and go to sleep with a bit of ice on my face, and I'll be good as new in the morning." He explained. She smiled,   
  
"Good."   
  
Matthew and Willow sat together on the couch for a long time. Finally, overcome by the sleep she had lost earlier in the day, Willow drifted off, her head still laying on Matthew's chest. 


	6. A True Runnerspring Summer

I have decided to crawl out from the abyss that is the real world and go back to working on this story, which I have not done for over a year.  I doubt the same people even read it anymore, if anyone at all, but I want to finish it, and I feel that I have a better grasp of the characters now.

Obviously, I don't own the lands that this was set in, those are all Tamora Pierce's.  But these characters are my own creation, and please don't steal them.  But do please R/R!  Thanks.  ~Sara

            Spring faded into a sweltering summer.  The heat showed no signs of letting up, and with it, neither did the fever of love that seemed to have infected everyone.  Anthony and Ariel were at it almost every night; Willow found it now impossible to sleep in the connecting room.  She briefly tried moving in with Mel, down the hall, but found that equally as unsuccessful; Ian and Mel were even louder than Anth and Ariel.  Even Seth and Ane had taken to occasionally sleeping in the same room, despite the fact it was strictly against the rules for squires to do so, and there was nothing that Willow hated more than listening to their shy voices and clumsy movements that made the made creak at such irregular intervals.  She finally had packed up all her belongings and was now sharing an apartment with Matthew indefinitely; she endured the horrendous and never-ending teasing in exchange for a good night's rest and a quiet room.

            The girls were thrilled that final exams were over; of course, both of them passed easily.  They did not move on with honors attached to their names, although each were recognized for individual accomplishments; Ariel in archery, Mel in fencing, and Ane in hunting and trapping.   The summer months promised to bring a lot of excitement and change to Willow's life.  She was still no closer to finding that magical little red book that was going to take her back to her old life, but as each day passed, laughing and playing games with her new friends, she cared less and less.  At the beginning of August, she was going with Ariel back to Runnerspring to spend the month with Ariel's parents, Juliet and Brion, as well as her twelve siblings.  Apparently, they all came home over the summer.  It was the thing to do in the Serenity family.  Ariel's oldest sibling was her brother Brice, who was twenty-five years old.  He was a knight, although no longer on active duty.  A near-fatal battle wound at the age of twenty-two had left his left arm almost completely useless, and although over the past three years he had rehabilitated himself a good deal, he would never be able to fight again.  Next was Aurelia, age twenty-three.  Aurelia had been married once, when she was sixteen years old, but it had been an arranged marriage and the Duke turned out to be an absolutely horrible man; he abused her physically and emotionally.  She fled from him at the age of twenty and he was arrested, but Aurelia was forever scarred.  She now lived at Runnerspring with her parents, helping taking care of her youngest siblings, always staying close to her mother, who was her rock.  The third was Kayla, one of the youngest black robed mages in the lands at twenty-two.  Everything about her was sharp, quick and acidic.  She was the dearest friend to those who managed to break her outer layer, but a deadly enemy to most.  The rumour around Corus was that she had once turned someone who annoyed her into a tree.  And never turned him back.  Tobias was born nine and a half months after Kayla, and was always the outcast of the family.  He possessed wild magic and studied it fervently from a very young age.  According to Ariel, he now spent most of his time as a wolf, although he stayed human and visited home during the summer.  Nobody seemed to mind his choice of lifestyle.  The spring after Tobias' birth, Andrew had joined the family.  Relatively normal and only minimally gifted, he passed through the knight program with satisfactory grades and skills, spent a slightly above mediocre two years on active border duty, and had spent the last year slumming around the castle mooching off people, trying to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.  Willow didn't think that coming home to Runnerspring was much of a vacation for a boy who didn't seem to do anything during the rest of the year, but she was not one to criticize those she didn't know yet.  Summer was a year younger than Andrew, and she and Tomas planned on stopping by the Runnerspring castle for two weeks to announce the good news and reunite with family briefly, before continuing on a voyage to the southern areas of Tortall and a few stops around Tyra.  Both Summer and Tomas always wanted to travel, and they felt the last chance they truly had to do it was before Summer became too pregnant to do so.  Once their child was born, they would both be too busy with parenting to take such an extensive vacation.  Most of all, though, Summer was excited about Runnerspring, because it meant she would see her 19 year old twin brother and sister, Christian and Clarissa.  Christian was on leave from his first year of active duty as a knight, and Clarissa simply felt the need to get away from the court ladies, whom she spent most of her time with.  She was a noble lady, although with her personality and mannerisms, she would have been better suited as a knight.  Similarly, Christian would have fit better with the gentle, unassuming monks than the brash, bawdy knights.  Ariel confided in Willow three days before their travel began that she was most excited to see her sister Michalina, who was a year older than Willow and Ariel.  She was a healer who worked in the palace with the pages, although she made the occasionally visit to see Mel, Ariel and the rest of the group.  Recently, though, she had been vacationing in Galla, learning new healing techniques and taking a year long course offered at the University about the healing potential of roots and leaves.  Willow personally wanted to meet the youngest members of the Serenity clan; Silas, Matthew and Jaspar.  Silas was 14 and had just finished his time at the Tortallan University, obtaining a robe in magic.  He had plans to travel to Carthak and begin working towards a black robe, following in his older sister Kayla's footsteps.  Matthew was 11 and just finishing his first year as a page.  Willow was fascinated by the entire knight program, and although she would never enter it had she the chance, she loved hearing stories about it.  Jaspar was only four years old, but from what Ariel had described, she seemed to be a rather remarkable little girl who spent her days talking to butterflies and cats.  Willow wondered if she would end up spending her days as an animal, like Tobias had done.  She spent most of her time wondering and hypothesizing about Ariel's siblings.  Being an only child, she had never experienced the thrill of having someone's life who you could invade at all times for your entire life.  Part of her was content with being an only child, but Willow could not help but think of that part of herself as the "old" Willow, as cliché as that felt.  The new Willow, the ancient Corus Willow, loved being surrounded by people and being involved in the many family affairs of the large clans.  So when Ariel had told her that she had twelve brothers and sisters, and that every single one would be at Runnerspring for the summer, she was absolutely ecstatic.  She spent a majority of the week before the trip packing her trunk for of her new summer clothing, most of which Ariel had been kind of enough to buy for her.  A few items, however, Willow managed to purchase with her own money after selling her new-age coins as very valuable antiques.  Three days before they left, she was fully packed and ready to go, and therefore had nothing to do.  So, of course, she visited Matthew.

            Matthew always kept one eye out for the little red leather book that Willow knew held her future, but he had lost a great deal of interest in it as their long search over the winter months had proved fruitless.  Even Willow, who could once think of nothing other than the little bound volume, was beginning to forget.  There were just so many other activities in her life that required her attention, sometimes she was completely unaware of the fact she didn't live during this time, and was supposed to be finding a way back home.  Others day, however, when Matthew was busy with work and all her other friends had coupled up and left her alone, she missed being back in her own time.  She missed having Tomas to cuddle up to, because although she loved Matthew, she had a gut feeling that he did not feel anything but friendship for her.  Even if he did, she knew he was too shy to say anything.  As she was the same way, Willow knew she would simply have to settle for unrequited love.  It was kind of pathetic, this she knew, but Willow thought that everyone needed to have a little sadness in their life, and hers could come from being painfully shy.  It was simply a fact she needed to learn to deal with.  Tomas had always understand her shyness, and often finished her sentences for her or offered opinions and choices that she could simply nod or shake her head at, without ever having to ramble on about what she wanted.  It was a nice arrangement, and so completely different from the one she had with Matthew.  He forced her to voice everything she was thinking about, her questions, opinions, criticisms and every little thought in her head until her cheeks were burning red and she felt slightly ill to her stomach.  It was nice, sometimes, to have someone been so devoutly interested in what a person thought, but mostly Willow just liked to listen.

            She knocked on Matthew's door and found it creaked open halfway.  She slipped inside the cluttered apartment and found a trunk sitting behind the door, the culprit of what had prevented the door from opening only halfway.

            "Matthew?" She called out, her voice absorbed quickly by the massive piles of dusty books and documents.  She saw a shaggy brown head appear from behind a group of religion tomes.

            "Willow?  Hi, I didn't hear you knock.  How are you?"  He shook the dust off his clothing, forming a gritty gray cloud around his head.

            "Oh, alright.  I'm just bored.  I finished packing everything, but we don't leave until Saturday so I don't really have anything to do," she said, flopping down on his beaten red couch.

            "Saturday, really?  That's when I leave too," he replied, putting a book on top of the oak trunk blocking the door.  Willow raised an eyebrow,

            "Where are you going?"  Matthew hadn't said anything about a summer voyage.  He wasn't one who couldn't easily hold a secret, so Willow couldn't help but think this had been planned at the last minute.

            "Oh, well it's all kind of been last minute, y'know.  I received an express post yesterday asking me to help in a project that the Gallan University Library is taking on for the summer.  I imagine I'll be gone until September or thereabouts," he explained, continuing to shove books into an already too-full trunk.

            "Oh," Willow replied flatly.  Somewhere in the back of her mind, the idea of Matthew pining away for in his apartment all alone had brought her an obscene sense of pleasure.  She supposed it had just been silly girl thoughts, and she attempted to brush them away with a vigorous nod of the head.  "That's really exciting, Matthew.  They couldn't have picked anyone more suited for the job."

            She was trying very hard to be cheerful, but for some reason the news was weighing on her shoulders more heavily than she had anticipated, or could even explain.  It wasn't just that perverse pleasure she had felt earlier.  That was something that merely sat on the surface; these emerging feelings had roots that ran deep into her, and she could not figure out a proper way to pull them out and throw them away.  She could not even explain why they were there, or how they had become so deeply ingrained.

            Matthew did not seem to notice she was lost in her own private reverie.  He was busy packing the last of his belongings, piling two small satchels and one large knapsack on top of his bulging, creaking trunk.  Willow gave him a small smile when he finished and looked towards her.

            "Hey… I just remembered that Ariel promised she'd take me shopping for a dress.  They're going to be having a large Midsummer's Ball at Runnerspring, I suppose it's an annual tradition or something… but Ariel insists I have a new dress to wear for the occasion, so I need to be going.  Have a fun time, Matthew," there was melancholy in her voice, despite her attempts to mask it.  Giving him a final smile and no chance to give her a proper goodbye, she let herself out of the dusty apartment and fled down the steps, away from the man she loved, into the welcoming arms of a summer vacation.

            "This is exactly what I need," she said quietly to herself and she returned to the palace, her pace brisk.  "A vacation, time away from all of this and everything and him, just to have fun and relax, and be with family," she confirmed with a nod of her head.  This seemed to be the right solution, although deep inside, Willow could feel those painful roots that twisted around her heart begin to squeeze.

            So what if Matthew had told a lie.  It had been a small lie.  Everybody told them, from the most honourable knight to the hungriest beggar.  They were merely a fact of life.  He was, in truth, going to the Gallan University Library, and in truth, he would be in home in… thereabouts.  It wasn't important that there had been no express post, and he would certainly be back in the middle weeks of August rather than September.  Those were merely details.  He had recently become in contact with a friend to whom a small red leather bound book was familiar to, and had offered him a flat to crash in if he planned on coming up to Galla to look for it.  Matthew jumped at the chance – he jumped at any opportunity to bring happiness into Willow's life.  He loved her with every fiber of his being.  His number one priority was making her happy.  It was the first time in his entire life that a human being had wedged themselves so firmly inside Matthew's heart that he had been forced to rearrange his priorities.  Even his family, as naturally bonded to them as he was, came after his studies and his thousands of books, his one true love.  At least, that's how it had been for the first nineteen years of his life.  Now there was Willow, with her gorgeous red hair and mysterious gray eyes, her sparse freckles over her milky skin.  Her imperfections – the small scar on her chin, her stubby fingers and toes, the tiny laughs lines around the corners of her lips – made her even more perfect in Matthew's mind.  He had never loved anyone as deeply or fully as he loved Willow, and he had just lied to her and given her up for the summer.  What a dumb scholar he was.

            He sighed, and reminded himself again that the she was the reason he had let her go, that he was traveling the farthest he had ever been from her since they met for her, that he was devoting his entire summer to her.  And he had never even touched her in a sexual way.  Matthew blushed as the thought of sex floated in and out of his mind.  He had a few sparse girlfriends in the past, rolls in the hay with girls that although being attractive and generally well-mannered and articulate, left him feeling physically drained and emotionally unsatisfied.  He knew that if he were ever able to touch Willow, to kiss her and to hold her that every small splinter in his body would be filled her beauty and warmth, and he would finally feel whole.  But she would never make the first move; he was still hesitant to even think if she felt anything but platonic friendship for him.  Matthew hated being the aggressor in a relationship; he always wanted everything to be equally split, with no one being more in control of the relationship.  He didn't want to be passive, but the idea of being aggressive seemed so naturally brutal to him that he shuddered of the mental images the word brought to his mind.

            Yet… Matthew couldn't stop thinking of what may be, if he made the first move.  He may find out that she feels the same was as he, and they may begin to date.  And they may get married, and have children… three or four little boys and girls running around a quaint home with a magnificently stocked library, with Willow doing whatever she wanted with her life, and Matthew content to publish books and essays, making a small but respectable name for himself in the Tortallan intelligencia.  It was so tangible; Matthew could taste the sweetbread he'd make in the mornings for the family's breakfast, smell the scent of Willow's freshly washed hair waft through the living room, feel the soft down of his hypothetical children's hair.  It was so real, so amazingly perfect, it made Matthew's heart ache when it dissipated, and he was left alone in his damp apartment, his only friends the printed words on lifeless pages.

            And so, Matthew the meek scholar began devising a plan.  It sounded almost devious, but the intentions were nothing but sweet and loving, if not completely pure.  His plan started with a trip to the Gallan University Library, where he spent two weeks with an acquaintance, James, searching for the elusive red book.

            A thick coat of dust sat contently on Matthew's clothes and hair.  He looked as if he had been standing inside a building when it had collapsed; even his eyebrows were full of dust bunnies.

            "There's no way we're going to find it, James.  We've been at this for thirteen days and fifteen hours, I think it's about time to give up," he said, sneezing and brushing dust off of his nose.  James' head emerged from a huge barrel of books that had not yet been catalogued and placed on shelves.

            "What'd you say?"

            "I said it's time to give up.  I leave for home in seven hours, I'm not even packed, and there's more dust on me than there is in the entire library."  James laughed at him, and brushed off some dust from his own lapel.

            "I suppose you're right.  Let me just finish going through this last barrel, and we'll stop.  It's really a shame that you weren't able to find this book.  It sounded like it was awfully important to you."  Matthew's shoulders drooped slightly as James' words settled on them.  The knowledge of the book's importance to Willow was a heavy burden to bear, and James telling him that he had failed only added more pressure.

            "I know… but it's obviously not even in Galla, if we scoured the entire library and weren't able to find it."  The weak justification did nothing to relieve the weight.

            It was at that moment, when Matthew thought he could actually feel his shoulders being pulled from their sockets by the horribly weight of his failure, that James cursed in such a fantastic way that Matthew thought he had struck gold.

            "Gods alive James, what is it?"

            "I found it!  I found it!  I found it!" The words echoed through the air, mingling with James' stomping as he danced a small jig.  "I'm bloody brilliant; I can't believe that I found it!"  He threw a small object over to Matthew, who clumsily caught it.  Cautiously, he looked down and brushed the dust off of the object in his hands.  The covering of the book was soft and worn; leather.  The dust made it seem brown and dull, but when brushed away, a blood red cover was apparent.  A small book bound in red leather.  That was what Matthew was holding in his dirty hands.  That was what James had found at the bottom of a creaking barrel.  That was what Willow had desperately been searching for, and now Matthew was holding it in his hands.  He did not dare to open it, not wanting to spoil some great surprise Willow may have brewing in her mind.  Instead, he yelled with glee, the first time he had ever raised his voice inside a library, and threw his arms around James, joining in the dance.

            His return to Corus in Mid-August announced the end of the first phase of his plan.  The red book was now always stowed safely away, wrapped up in handkerchiefs, in his pocket.  Every time he walked, he felt its small weight bump against his thigh, and it brought a smile to his face to know that that small weight would soon bring so much joy into her life.

            Phase two was considerably easier to finish than phase one.  Willow would return next week from her summer at Runnerspring, alongside Ariel, Summer and whatever other random Runnerspring offspring had decided to venture back to Corus for the coming autumn.  When she returned, Matthew would be different.  It started with his apartment.  He took part of his savings, which had grown considerably large over the past few months as he had not spent it all on books for once, and bought several large bookcases, which he arranged neatly in his room.  Those took care of all the books spread haphazardly throughout the apartment, and allowed the floor, which was finished wood and rather lovely, to be seen for the first time in years.  Secondly, with a few hired help, he cleaned the entire apartment from bedroom to bathroom to sitting room, chasing away the dust and bugs, allowing the sun to lazily filter in through the large windows.  He changed his sheets, from the dingy grey ones he always used to a pair of freshly bought white linen, soft and billowing.  When he was finished, it looked as if a normal nineteen year old bachelor inhabited the place, instead of the lanky bookworm that currently resided.  Matthew was incredibly pleased with it all.

            The third phase was shortest and most simple of all, and consisted of figuring out how to brush his hair out of his face and behind his ears, and purchasing a new blue shirt and brown breeches that he felt he looked moderately attractive in.  He scrubbed his boots scuff marks away, the large ones at least, and gave his entire body a good scrub down.  He bought a brand new razor from the marketplace and hesitantly shaved with it, making sure not to cut himself even once.

            In the end, he did not look like a different person, but rather more put together and complete.  Upon completion of his plan, his face took on a faint glow of pride that made his smile seem wider and brighter, and his eyes sparkle with constant happiness.  Now all he needed was for Willow to return, and his summer's work would come together.

            Summer at Runnerspring had been more fun than Willow had had in her entire life.  Every day there was something to do.  The first week she spent desperately trying to remember everyone's name, and even still she ended up calling Kayla and Clarissa by the wrong names.  (They were both blonde and had similar temperaments, so much so that it took Willow three days to figure out that they were not the pair of twins Ariel so often spoke of.)  After she had figured out everyone's names, and Andrew had realized she was family and stopped flirting with her, it was nothing but laughter and inside jokes the entire four weeks she was there.  She spent many of her days just running around the castle and beautiful surrounding lands, playing games with Ariel, Matthew and Jaspar while Michalina sat by and laughed gently at them (she was incredibly mature for her age, she held the air of an almost-thirty year old woman rather than a simply seventeen year old child), and Clarissa and Kayla made witty banter back and forth.  Tobias entertained Willow by showing her all the different animals he could change into, in a rare display of friendly outreach.  Willow had even passed the official test of the Runnerspring fief.

            The entire fief was nothing but glorious beauty.  Although the fief was a massive producer of grain, one of the largest in the country, the actual castle and its gardens were completely surrounded by thick, infinitely tall trees.  Behind the castle, there were the gardens, some of the most beautiful in the western fiefs, and a large meadow lined with trees.  This meadow was where most of the days were spent playing.  On the east side of the castle, a moderately sized river flowed.  A half mile northeast sat the beginning of the river; a small lake and a massive waterfall flowing over a cliff at least one hundred feet tall.  With all the wild stories Willow heard about this supposed cliff, she had thought it was a myth.  But it was all true; it actually existed, and jumping off of it was what her task was.  It was the official test of the children's courage and pride in Runnerspring, one that had apparently been around for hundreds of years.  Ariel's parents did not encourage jumping off the massive rock, but did not speak a single word against it the day they all went out there.  Even Matthew, who was only 11, had already taken the plunge.  He had a small scar on his knee because of it, and displayed it proudly.  Willow knew she had no choice.

            The scariest part of the jump was not plunging downwards to her possible demise, but rather the climb up, which was long and difficult, and made the climber perfectly aware of just how high they were.  But she made it up the cliff.  She looked down from the edge at the sparkling pristine lake, and the nine small figures clapping and cheering her on from the safety of ground far below.  She took several deep breathes, and jumped.  The sensation had been strange, almost peaceful.  It was almost nice to just be out in the middle of nowhere, thinking of nothing, almost floating.  Then she had hit the water.  Luckily, she had managed to stay mostly straight during the jump, and the force with which her feet hit the surface of the water was quickly distributed throughout her entire body and thus caused no great harm.  When she emerged, everyone was jumping and yelling at her with huge smiles, and she climbed out feeling that she truly belonged.

            During her month at Runnerspring, she thought of Matthew often.  She bought him several small trinkets from the marketplace in the main square of the Runnerspring village, and wanted to write to him on several occasions, although she always ended up being too busy during the day and too tired once she retired to her room at night.  Besides, she would always tell herself, Matthew was busy toiling away in Galla, reading tome after tome and no doubt not even thinking of her once.

            So when Willow returned to Corus, during the last week of August, she was not expecting to here from Matthew for a few week still.  It was a great shock when she heard from the general murmur of the castle that he was indeed at the Tortallan Library, and had gotten a haircut.  However, it was not the first surprise she received upon her arrival.

            "I'm engaged!  Engaged!  Willow, you turtle, wake up, I'm ENGAGED!"  The voice shrieked and screeched at the top of its lungs.  Willow groaned and rolled over in bed; what was this angry cat hissing at her for?  Opening her eyes, she saw not an angry cat, but rather a rather hyper redhead, bouncing up and down uncontrollably.

            "Huh?"

            "Anth proposed to me!  Just this morning!  Can you believe it?  Look at my ring, it's so beautiful!"  She bounced over to Willow and held out her bouncing hand.  On it sat a thin gold band, which twisted into a knot in the center.  There was a diamond there, surrounded by a circle of amethysts.  It was a gorgeous ring.  The implications of Ariel's screeching finally hit Willow, and she jumped up out bed.

            "Goodness!  That's wonderful Ari, congratulations," she exclaimed, hugging her cousin and friend tightly.  Ariel did not stop bouncing during the hug, and Willow was forced to begin bouncing with her.

            "I'm sooo with him Will, it's insane.  I couldn't be happier…" she laid down on the bed and began to roll back and forth, softly humming a marriage hymn.  Willow laughed joyfully, and stood up.  She dressed quickly, in a simply burgundy shirt and purple breeches, and brushed her hair out and away from her face.  It bounced in soft curls; Ariel had convinced her to curl it while at Runnerspring, and Willow enjoyed the look immensely.

            "I'm going to see if it's true that Matthew's back.  Congrats again, Ari," Willow said, and headed out the door.  Ariel didn't even notice.

            She tried the Library first, and although he wasn't there, a colleague of his told Willow that was home, but had the day off, and to try his apartment if she really needed to see him.  Willow thanked him and walked the short distance, and knocked on his door.  It swung open as she touched it, and she could not hold in a gasp as the room was revealed to her.  Everything was cleaned up and put away.  There were several new bookcases in the living room that had never been there before.  A rug, which Willow had never seen before because of the massive amounts of books covering it, now decorated the room nicely.  White curtains, billowing with a lazy summer wind, sat atop the large windows in the room.  It looked like an entirely different home.

            Then she saw Matthew.  His hair was brushed out of his face and he looked incredibly handsome in a new blue shirt and brown breeches.  He walked up to her, and gently touched her cheek, brushing a curl out of her face.

            He tried not to gasp as her saw her, standing there in the mid-afternoon sunlight.  Her hair was lightened and had golden highlights in it from all the sun exposure.  It tumbled around her face and shoulders in soft, curling waves.  She was gorgeous.

            She blushed and tried to look away as she touched her cheek.

            "Matthew…" she started, a soft laugh forming in her mouth.  He put his finger to her lips, silencing her.  With his thumb and forefinger, he tilted her face up towards his, and leaned in to kiss her.

            Matthew had wanted to do this for so long; he tried not to tremble as he leaned his face ever closer to hers.  He couldn't stop for fear of completely losing his confidence, and he knew if he didn't go through with this, if he didn't find out, that he would reject it forever.  His lips touched hers.

            It was the softest, most innocent kiss Willow had ever felt in her entire life.  Behind those gentle lips, though, she could feel a passion burning.  His hand gently went from her cheek to her shoulder, running down her arm to rest on her waist.

            Matthew wanted to jump for joy as he felt her arms go around his neck.  A new sense of confidence surged through him, and he gripped her with both arms, more tightly.

            Willow's head was swimming with a million things at once, but she couldn't focus on any one thought.  Everything was fuzzy; the only thing she knew was that she never wanted to stop kissing him.

            Eventually, they broke from each other.  Without saying a word, Matthew took her head gently and guided her down the short hallway into his bedroom.  The bed was entirely white, the room lit warmly by the sunlight.  Willow kissed him as they neared the edge of the bed, allowing her body to bend as he lowered her onto the linen comforter.  Their hands searched, hesitantly at first, more insistent later, but always gentle.  They found buttons and smooth skin, and everything was perfect.  Willow couldn't believe this was happening.

            Matthew couldn't believe this was happening.  They never spoke words, but communicated everything with their eyes, and their hands.  Everything was perfect, everything was going as Matthew had dreamed for so long it would.  Life was perfect.

            They lay in silence for a long time afterwards, wrapped up together in the new white linen sheets, nothing else covering them.  Willow wanted to stay awake, to study his features and run her hands over his sparse chest hair, over the respectable biceps he had been hiding all this time.  She wanted to smile up at him, glowing with happiness, and kiss his nose in that silly way Anth and Ariel always did.  But she was so overwhelmed and content, she went to sleep.  Matthew lay perfectly still, watching his angel dream for a long time, before his own eyelashes fluttered shut, and he rested.  At the palace, Ariel and Anthony ate dinner staring into each other's eyes, both dreaming of their life together.  Ian and Mel hugged and cried together, finally resolving a long-standing argument, holding each other tightly and promising to never fight again.  Tomas touched Summer's belly gently in Tyra, totally in awe.  The sun set over them all; casting gold, orange and violet rays over Matthew and Willow's solitary sheet, Anth and Ariel's fine china, Ian and Mel's figures, Summer's bulging belly and Tomas' innocent hand.  Everything was well in the world.  

            When Willow woke, she was still tangled in the sheets, but Matthew was no longer in bed.  She sat up, pulling the sheet around her tightly.  She suddenly felt horribly embarrassed and alone in the world.

            "Matthew?" she peeped, hoping more than anything that he would answer her.  There were a few moments of silence, and then Matthew, wearing only his now rumpled breeches, appeared in the doorframe.  He was holding a glass of tomato juice, and something wrapped in a white cloth.  A smile seeped across Willow's mouth, and she patted the space of bed next to her.  He took the cue and sat down next to her, handing her the bright red glass of juice.

            "Thanks," she told him, taking a sip of it.  It was fresh and tangy, absolutely delicious.  It felt good sliding down her throat.  With her free hand, she pointed to the object in the handkerchief.

            "What's that?"  A broad smile formed on Matthew's mouth, and Willow giggled quietly and raised her eyebrows.  "Come on now, tell me."  Matthew nodded and shifted so he could see her face better.

            "I'll do you one better than tell you, I'll show you," he said, unable to mask the excitement in his voice.  He slowly unwrapped the object, and Willow's eyes were glued to his hands.  He removed the final flap of cloth and everything hit Willow with the power of a tidal wave.

            Thomas.

            Her parents.

            School.

            Modern times.

            That stupid red book.

            Her entire life.

Willow couldn't breathe.  She put her hand to her chest absently.  Matthew's eyebrows knitted together with worry, and he touched her arm gently,

            "Willow?  Willow, what's wrong?  Please say something…" he said, his face full of confusion and pain.  Hadn't he done well?  Why was she reacting so strangely to this book that she wanted so badly?

            "Matthew… oh gods…" She reached over for the book, accidentally dropping her glass full of tomato juice.  It bounced onto the brand new sheets, a bright red stain spreading quickly over everything.  Willow didn't even notice.  She grasped the book tightly.  Matthew jumped up, away from the juice.

            "Gods!  What is the matter with you, Willow?" he said crossly, upset at her reaction and that she had just ruined his brand new sheets.

            "I have to leave," she said flatly.  Standing up, she pulled on her shirt backwards and her pants inside out.  Shoving her feet into her shoes, she started for the door.  Matthew blocked her path.

            "No!  I'm not letting you leave until you explain what's going on!  I went through too much to just let you walk out of here!  I put my book aside for almost a year for you!  I stopped my research for you!  I went to Galla for you, found that stupid little book for you, and cleaned up my apartment for you!  I bought new sheets for you!"  He raised his voice more than he meant to, but he didn't want to stop now.

            "I did everything to find out if you love me or not, and then you go and sleep with me and now you're just walking out?!  I don't think so, Willow!"  Willow looked up at him.  She didn't want to fight, but he had kindled her anger past her breaking point.

            "You bought **sheets for me?  Oh, well then, let me just go and marry you, for gods' sake!  You didn't have to do anything for me, so don't blame me for not working on your book!  It's your book, you could have worked on it if you want to!  Everything you did for me, those were all choices!"**

            "I didn't make the choice to fall in love with you!"

            "Neither did I!" She screamed.  There was a beat of silence.  Matthew blinked several times.  He didn't know whether to forget everything right there and sweep her up into his arms, hugging her tightly and telling her that all he wanted in this world was to spend the rest of his life with her, or just keep yelling.  And what did any of this have to do with that stupid book?  He was too confused to even know what to say next.

            "Will you still love me tomorrow?" Willow said quietly.  Matthew looked down at her, puzzled.

            "Excuse me?"  Willow opened her mouth to explain, but closed it again, defeated.  It was no good.

            "I need to leave," she said, and turning on her heel, Willow ran out of Matthew's apartment, out of his life, back to home, wherever that was.

            "Willow!" Matthew yelled, but she did not stop.  The door slammed behind her.  He sat down and watched the tomato juice continue to spread over his brand new white sheets.


End file.
